Stolen Property Being Used As Currency To Buy Drugs

Storage lockers most often targeted

By Robert Thomas

The recent rash of break and enters at businesses have one thing in common - the majority are done by the same person or group of people.

The reason for the majority of the breakins was drug related.

Those are the revelations from Tuesday afternoon's monthly meeting of the Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners (MJBOPC).

Reviewing the monthly reported crime statistics the Commissioners were told the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) had laid a number of charges related to business breakins.

Commissioners were told there had been a major jump in the number of business break and enters in 2022 from 2021.

In 2021 there was 43 reported business break and enters and in 2022 there were 71 business break and enters reported.

MJPS Chief Rick Bourassa told the Commissioners a number of charges had been laid in connection with business break and enters.

Superintendent Taylor Mickleborough said the MJPS had been able to apprehend offenders during the commission of the crime.

“It’s encouraging to see that our patrol unit, along with our K-9 unit, has had some success in apprehending and charging people while they’re in the act of committing these offences.”

He said the majority of offenders were “the same people.”

Superintendent Mickleborough said offenders have been targeting storage lockers looking to grab things which can be traded for narcotics.

“Property can be a type of currency,” he said.

“It’s something they can flip to their drug dealer for product “