Calgary children left in the cold after thieves steal 200 batteries from school buses
Calgary police are investigating an unprecedented theft of more than 200 batteries from 79 school buses that left hundreds of children waiting in the cold Monday.
Investigators suspect the thieves may have swiped the 237 batteries from Southland Transportation’s yard in northeast Calgary to sell components, including lead.
But they’re not ruling out other avenues, including whether one or more of the criminals are linked to the yard, which had been left unlocked to allow for a late-night charter.
Police said they had never seen the size or scale of the battery theft, with the value of the stolen goods estimated at $20,000.
“We’re still looking at all the leads as to why this might have occurred and what the uses of the batteries might have been,” Staff Sgt. Brad Moore told reporters.
Officers have consulted with criminal intelligence and tactical units about a potential link to terrorism, but “nothing comes back as giant flags at this point in time,” Moore said.
While the theft caused “some major issues” for schoolchildren Monday morning, all 79 affected buses were back up and running for the afternoon commute home after crews worked frantically to replace the missing batteries.
Kyrie Geurts, assistant general manager for southern Alberta at Southland Transportation, said staff noticed several bus battery doors open when they went to fetch their vehicles Monday morning around 5:30 a.m. at the company’s McKnight bus lot.
“It’s a frustration for us, but it’s a serious safety concerns for these kids that are sitting out waiting for these buses to come. Whoever did this is certainty not looking big picture, they’re not realizing hundreds of families — hundreds — are affected by this kind of thing,” Geurts said.
Police believe more than one criminal lugged away the heavy batteries between Sunday afternoon and early Monday morning, likely taking off in a large vehicle, such as a cube van.
source: Calgary children left in the cold after thieves steal 200 batteries from school buses | National Post
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Me thinks somebody was desperate for a Snow Day.. :lol:
Calgary police are investigating an unprecedented theft of more than 200 batteries from 79 school buses that left hundreds of children waiting in the cold Monday.
Investigators suspect the thieves may have swiped the 237 batteries from Southland Transportation’s yard in northeast Calgary to sell components, including lead.
But they’re not ruling out other avenues, including whether one or more of the criminals are linked to the yard, which had been left unlocked to allow for a late-night charter.
Police said they had never seen the size or scale of the battery theft, with the value of the stolen goods estimated at $20,000.
“We’re still looking at all the leads as to why this might have occurred and what the uses of the batteries might have been,” Staff Sgt. Brad Moore told reporters.
Officers have consulted with criminal intelligence and tactical units about a potential link to terrorism, but “nothing comes back as giant flags at this point in time,” Moore said.
While the theft caused “some major issues” for schoolchildren Monday morning, all 79 affected buses were back up and running for the afternoon commute home after crews worked frantically to replace the missing batteries.
Kyrie Geurts, assistant general manager for southern Alberta at Southland Transportation, said staff noticed several bus battery doors open when they went to fetch their vehicles Monday morning around 5:30 a.m. at the company’s McKnight bus lot.
“It’s a frustration for us, but it’s a serious safety concerns for these kids that are sitting out waiting for these buses to come. Whoever did this is certainty not looking big picture, they’re not realizing hundreds of families — hundreds — are affected by this kind of thing,” Geurts said.
Police believe more than one criminal lugged away the heavy batteries between Sunday afternoon and early Monday morning, likely taking off in a large vehicle, such as a cube van.
source: Calgary children left in the cold after thieves steal 200 batteries from school buses | National Post
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Me thinks somebody was desperate for a Snow Day.. :lol:
