“Operation Scrooge” educates public about potential theft from or of vehicles

New Minas RCMP Stetsons and Spurs Constables Karen (left) and Jacklynn Kelly of Port Williams volunteered their time Saturday morning to help conduct “Operation Scrooge” in the parking lot of the County Fair Mall in New Minas. Kings RCMP partnered with the Kings Citizens on Patrol and the Stetsons and Spurs youth group to conduct the operation for the third consecutive year. The goal was to seek out unlocked vehicles and those with valuables clearly visible. Cards were placed under the windshield wiper of such vehicles to educate the owner or operator about potential theft from or of their vehicle. A similar operation was planned for Wolfville Saturday morning. RCMP and Citizens on Patrol vehicles watched over the parking lot to ensure the safety of volunteers and to ensure that those vehicles identified as unlocked or with valuables visible weren’t targeted by thieves. Cst. Les Kakonyi of the Kings RCMP said there has been about a 30 per cent decrease locally this year in the number of thefts from vehicles reported.