Police are warning business owners and hotel managers, following a number of ATM thefts, and attempted thefts in the city in recent weeks.
Investigators are working on at least three incidents involving the theft of ATMs from businesses, including hotels in Edmonton since the start of March.
The first incident took place on March 7, when two suspects tried to steal an ATM machine from a hotel in the area of 105 Avenue and 111 Street. The suspects were confronted by residents and fled.
On March 11, two male suspects allegedly broke into a game room in a hotel near 53 Avenue and Calgary Trail and then used a handcart to steal a machine.
Surveillance video shows the suspects loading the machine into a newer model Dodge Ram pickup truck which was parked behind the hotel.
Police said that truck was being driven by a female accomplice with long black hair.
Then, on March 15, two male suspects broke into an ATM machine at a hotel near 76 Avenue and 45 Street.
In each case, the suspects took undisclosed amounts of cash – and it’s not clear if the same suspects are responsible for all of these cases.
“We believe we have two male suspects that may be responsible for a couple of them, but we can’t confirm if they are responsible for all of them,” EPS spokesperson Scott Pattison said. “Interestingly enough there were several others that happened in surrounding communities including Stony Plain and Fort Saskatchewan over the month of February.”
Police are advising business owners to place ATMs in high traffic areas that are well lit and covered by surveillance cameras – even bolting the units to the floor if possible.
With files from David Ewasuk
