CALGARY — Crooks are targeting drivers sleeping in their trucks at Calgary-area truckstops, and swiping wallets and other small valuable items, say Calgary police. So far this year, 80 break-and-enter robberies have been reported, but Calgary Police Constable Michelle Joels suspects the actual number of incidents is probably considerably higher.

“Our district, District 6, has logged 80 complaints since the spring,” Joels says. “It’s quite likely that many other drivers may have left the area without reporting the crime, or were not aware they had been robbed until sometime after they had left the area and went to use their wallets.”

Sleep with one eye open: ‘Small persons’
robbing truckers at Calgary truckstops

Thieves are simply opening the doors, climbing in and taking what is close at hand and portable. Joels told Today’s Trucking that there have been no reports of forced entry, leading her department to conclude drivers are either leaving their doors unlocked when the go to sleep, or thieves are getting their arms in through open windows and unlocking the doors.

“We’ve arrested several “small persons” in this case to date, and it’s quite conceivable that they can get their arms into an opening as small as about four inches,” she says. “The way we see it, they just walk around the parking areas trying doors until they find one that opens.”

Most of the break-ins have been reported at two locations: the Road King Truckstop at 4949 Barlow Trail, and the Calgary Esso Truckstop, located at 2515 50th St, SE. The two truckstops are kitty-corner to each other on the central-east side of the city. Other incidents have been reported at the Calgary Husky on the north side of the city.

Some truckstops have security personnel on the property, but Joels says it would be pretty easy to avoid detection just by ducking under a trailer.

So far there have been no reports of violence associated with the break-ins, but Joels says she fears what may happen if the thieves were to wake a sleeping trucker in the process.

The Calgary Police Service is urging drivers to lock their doors when they bed down for the night, and suggest if ventilation is required, open sleeper vents instead, keeping the no-draft vents closed and locked. Open the windows just a crack if that necessary.

Anyone with information in these incidents is asked to call the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234.