A non-profit childcare provider in Nanaimo says it's out thousands of dollars thanks to thieves siphoning gas from its vans and buses, and vandalizing them to boot.
The Boys and Girls Club of Central Vancouver Island has been hit 10 times in the last three weeks with thieves taking fuel, damaging vehicles and security fencing and even stealing a mounted security camera, according to executive director Ian Kalina.
"It's been going on a number of years. Last year was pretty intense, and we had some media coverage which seemed to help a little bit at the time," said Kalina. "Summer it sort of abates and as the colder weather and darkness comes in, I guess it becomes a good place for people to come get some free fuel."
Kalina said the thefts have interrupted transportation service for youngsters because the vehicles have to go in for repairs each time they're damaged.
He called it a "cat and mouse game," saying the organization has stopped using lock caps on vehicles because thieves just snap them off.
Staff also used to lock gates on the premises but stopped doing that because the thieves ended up cutting through the chain link fence, costing the club even more in repairs, Kalina said.
"It's becoming a situation where we need to look at a coordinated response in the community," he said, adding other people in the area have reported having their gas siphoned. "With the amount of fuel they're taking, I'm going to say there's probably people with vehicles nearby. That's how coordinated it is."
The organization said it isn't sure why thieves keep targeting it, but is considering hosting community forums to help better protect the area. It's also thinking about moving the vehicles into more secure parking.
"Our hope would be that people will join us in finding a solution to this," he said.
The RCMP is investigating the thefts, Kalina said.
