Elk Valley police have warned of back-country thieves operating in the area, with reports of gas being siphoned from vehicles parked in remote areas.
“Thieves are not just siphoning gas out of the tank, they are drilling a hole in the tank leading to an expensive repair,” said an RCMP release.
“The surging gas prices is one thing, but the cost to replace the gas tank is a lot more.”
RCMP officers said that such incidents were rare in this area.
Anyone that has had their vehicle targeted is encouraged to make a report with the local RCMP so that they can continue to build a file on the incidents, and hopefully catch the culprits.
The local detachment also reported another vehicle-related incident, with a catalytic converter (an exhaust control device that has valuable metals inside that can make pollutants less harmful) stolen off a vehicle parked by the water treatment plant on Fernie Ski Hill Road.
It was a one-off incident, according to the RCMP, with no other similar thefts reported in the area around Feb. 2.
As we head into spring weather, RCMP also report they have responded to a handful of incidents of intoxicated youths drinking alcohol in public.
“Elk Valley RCMP would like to remind the community that alcohol being supplied to underage youth is illegal,” reads the release, listing off a handful of fines that can be handed to those that provide alcohol to minors.
“When the RCMP deal with intoxicated minors in public, the result is a fine or an education, all of which depends on each situation. At the end of the day, the police concern is for the safety of our local youth.”
READ MORE: RCMP update for Fernie in 2021
scott.tibballs@thefreepress.ca
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