Latest Okanagan artificial turf theft targets non-profit child care centre

When unit arrived astatine Little Learners Academy successful Penticton, B.C., Monday morning, they were shocked to observe what had been stolen implicit the weekend.

“It’s astonishing,” said Tanya Behardien, enforcement manager of OneSky Community Resources. “Of each of the things that idiosyncratic mightiness beryllium after. It was conscionable a spot of a surprise.”

Culprits gained entree to the outdoor playing country astatine the kid attraction centre and stole 4 pieces of artificial turf, valued astatine good implicit $1,000.

“There were 18-inch spikes determination holding the turf down. So it would person been an effort and it’s not light,” said Behardien.

Tracy Van Raes, besides a Penticton resident, caught culprits connected her information camera stealing her fake writer from her beforehand gait earlier this year.

“This is the time and property we’re successful now,” Van Raes said. “I conjecture thing is harmless unless it’s nailed down and successful that case, it was nailed down and it inactive got stolen.”

The video shows 3 radical scoping retired the spot up of coming backmost to perpetrate the offence backmost successful March.

“We saw them travel a mates days earlier and scope it out, and past benignant of assistance the country of the tract and past travel backmost a 2nd clip that night,” Van Raes said. “And past yet travel backmost astatine 3 a.m. connected a Sunday greeting and for 45 minutes left, came back, went and got a antithetic weapon due to the fact that the different 1 was excessively dull, chopped around, rolled it up, and carried it disconnected down the street.”

At the extremity of September, idiosyncratic besides stole large chunks of fake turf from the newest motorcycle parkland successful Vernon, prompting assembly to walk an further $25,000 to beef up security.

RCMP were called successful each 3 cases but nary arrests person been made.

The targeted daycare, however, is getting enactment from a section landscaping institution that felt compelled to measurement up and help.

“We are going to regenerate the turf,” said Bruce Ramage, proprietor of Sandstone Landscaping Supplies.  “It’s conscionable the close happening to do. I conscionable judge successful helping people.”

Behardien is grateful for each the support.

“It’s specified a fantastic happening to person the enactment of the community,” Behardien said. “We are blessed by unthinkable businesses successful this assemblage who continuously amusement up for america erstwhile we request them.”