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Vol. 9, No. 31, Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Thieves trash Andrew Gas Bar
MICHELLE PINON PHOTOS
For the third time in four months the Andrew Gas Bar was vandalized. Thieves ransacked the main area as well as the office spraying the contents from the fire extinguisher throughout. The parking area and neighbouring highway were littered with chips and pop. Michelle Pinon Editor
For the third time in four months the Andrew Gas Bar was the target of thieves. This most recent break in during the early morning hours of May 22 was different in the sense that the vandals simply trashed the merchandise and office space before dousing it with chemicals from a fire extinguisher. “They tore the place apart,” stated the manager, who did not want to be publicly identified for fear of further repercussions or possible retalia-
tion by the hoodlums in the future. Since this could be a vindictive crime, the manager stated later that morning (after 10 a.m.) that they were waiting on members of the forensic unit from Edmonton to investigate on scene. Motorists, who came to fuel up or grab a coffee, were dismayed and shocked to see the gas station and pumps cordoned off with yellow police tape. Bags of chips and pop were littered throughout the parking lot and smashed out windows a reminder of the violent force used to break through the panes of glass in the windows.
Robert Peyton was also dismayed to hear of the crime. Peyton, a member and director with the Andrew-Willingdon-St. Michael Rural Crime Watch Association, said fellow members (210 in total) received a fan out earlier in the week from RCMP. Peyton said there are several challenges in regards to policing in the Two Hills RCMP Detachment area, with staffing being the main one. Peyton said the detachment has been short two officers over the past year and has been waiting more than six months for the detach-
ment commander to relocate to the area and officially take on their full-time duties. “We need a foot soldier with a car and a gun,” stated Peyton emphatically as visibility is a crucial means of deterring criminals. Peyton said he has lived in the area for more than 10 years, and there has not been a local RCMP detachment in operation; however, there is a satellite RCMP office (ironically located within metres of the gas station in question) that is available to officers for use of high speed internet. Continued on Page 6