Copper thieves strike again

A rash of robberies left city officials and agricultural society members in Lachute sparking mad last week after a thief or thieves broke into the electrical buildings located at Richelieu Park and at the Lachute Fairgrounds and made off with thousands of dollars in stolen electrical components and copper wires.

Sûreté du Quebec Sergeant Marie-Josée Gervais told The Review that police are investigating both crimes, but currently have no suspects.

According to Gervais, the Richelieu Park robbery at 639 Meikle Street, took place sometime between October 17 and 18 after thieves forcibly opened the door to the electrical building, causing about $500 in damages.

Once inside the building, Gervais said the thieves began to systematically remove about $10,000 worth of electrical components and wires.

A similar crime was reported on October 20, at about 2:30 a.m., after a private alarm company notified members of the Argenteuil Agricultural Society that a sensor at the Lachute Fairgrounds had been activated. According to one agricultural society member, the alarm company was advised to call the police. When that same agricultural society member arrived the next morning to inspect the premises, he said he discovered that the door to their electrical building had been ripped off and the electrical components and wires that they had only recently replaced after a similar robbery last Fall, had also been stolen.

A third incident, which Gervais referred to as a case of vandalism took place ay Ayers Park, also in Lachute, sometime between October 16 and 17, when vandal(s) entered the park and caused over $500 in damages to a bulldozer and compacter that had been left in the park, which is currently under construction. The specific site of this case of vandalism is the future location of a new $500,000 covered skating rink that is being installed by the City of Lachute.

Gervais is advising residents to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity in local parks and to call INFO-Crime at 1.800.711.1800 or the Argenteuil detachment of the SQ at 450.562.2442 if you have any information regarding these or other crimes.