A pair of arrests were made over the weekend in Mindale following a string of thefts stemming from break and enters in the southeast. Several reports were received by Weyburn RCMP on Saturday regarding thefts from vehicles and garages, with stolen items including electronics, tools, cigarettes, and change.
Once Saskatchewan RCMP opened an investigation, they utilized assistance from the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft System and Police Dog Services, which saw two men located and arrested by the end of that day.
28-year-old Gerard Keenatch from Regina and 27-year-old Francis Desjarlais from Kawacatoose First Nation each received charges for one count of wearing a disguise with the intent to commit an offence, six counts of break and enter, and six counts of trespassing at night. Keenatch is also charged with one count of failing to comply with a release order condition.
The break-in is part of a trend that the Saskatchewan RCMP has been tracking, looking at their latest figures of break-ins from 2024.
Break and enters were relatively stable between 2023 and 2024, with a 2 per cent increase noted year-over-year. The increase was mainly made up of non-residential break-ins, with buildings such as sheds, outbuildings, and abandoned houses seeing rising numbers. Residential break-ins, meanwhile, have dropped by 15 per cent over the last decade.
While that number is decreasing, Staff Sgt. Jill McLaren, the officer who leads Saskatchewan RCMP’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Unit, says that remains the most common type of break-in.
“If there is one place that people want to feel safe, it is within their own homes. Property crime, such as break and enters, can take away that feeling of safety. Although break-ins may not cause physical harm, they are violating and intrusive.”
“While break and enters can affect anyone, it’s promising to see that it's impacting 15% fewer residences than it did a decade ago – that’s over 300 fewer households dealing with this issue. Though we can’t speculate on the cause of this decrease, staying alert and reporting suspicious activity can make a difference.”
The RCMp says that break and enters are crimes of opportunity, usually performed when a place looks unsecured or unoccupied. They recommend the following practices to deter potential thieves from your homes and buildings:
- Consider installing a monitored security or alarm system.
- Install motion-sensor security lights and timer lights that turn on at sundown to illuminate your property and discourage trespassers.
- Trim trees and other brush in your yard to make for easy property monitoring.
- Limit the number of valuable items in your home that someone could see from a window or entryway.
- Do not leave spare keys in an obvious spot.
- Keep valuable items in a safe that is hidden.
- Lock and secure your doors and windows – even if you are home and in your backyard.
- Make your home appear inhabited – even if it’s not.
- If you’re going away, ask someone you trust to stay at your place or keep an eye on your property.
- Avoid posting details on social media that imply you are not home.
Anyone who witnesses suspicious activity or ara a victim of property crime is asked to call Saskatchewan RCMP at 310-RCMP or report the crime online through their Online Crime Reporting tool.