Nunavut’s capital hit by wave of brazen thefts

Thieves often target the dense housing of the Road to Nowhere in Iqaluit, which is mainly occupied by relatively well-off government workers. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)

Many people in Iqaluit, who’ve seen everything from valuable carvings to parkas stolen fromthem, are fed up with numerous break-ins and incidences of petty theft in the city — as well as the bold behaviour displayed by many thieves.

In a recent incident, a thief entered a house when children were at home to steal various items.

“How dare people do this,” the woman who lives there commented on a Facebook page for Iqaluit news. “My kids were in the house when he [a thief] helped himself, now they don’t feel safe at home anymore. My kids aren’t sleeping at night thinking he’s coming back.”

The worst thing, she said: the thief “came here twice.”

Another man who lives in the Road-to-Nowhere neighbourhood — which appears to be a popular target for thieves — told Nunatsiaq News he heard someone try to start up his snowmobile during the night.

The man said he ran outside in his underwear, only to see someone wearing a black hoodie running away.

Break-and-enters into homes and local businesses are increasing, Iqaluit RCMP Staff Sgt. Monty Lecomte confirmed, although he didn’t have exact numbers to offer or reasons to explain the rise.

But Lecomte said people often walk into unlocked homes or offices and swipe whatever is easy to carry and re-sell, such as iPads, laptop computers, iPods, carvings, art and sealskin mitts.

“It’s a variety of stuff, just whatever’s easy to carry,” Lecomte said.

But no matter what’s stolen or how, victims share a common anger toward perpetrators.

“Help! I feel violated! I am so sad to lose my sense of security, to lose my personal property, my photos and information on my computer, not to mention all the hours of work I put into making the mitts,” said another commenter to the Facebook page where members often share talk about missing items — with the faint hope that someone returns them.

That woman had lost a laptop, iPod and the first pair of sealskin mitts she’d ever tried to make.

Many Iqaluit offices have also been targeted by thieves. Visitors walk in and they leave with artwork, clothing, equipment and even banal items such as batteries and paperclips.

Six valuable carvings were stolen this past February from the Government of Nunavut’s executive and intergovernmental offices at the Astroplex.

A man later tried to sell a carving of Sedna, worth thousands of dollars, at the Elks Club, but, after being challenged about where the carving came from, he ended up giving it to the prospective buyer and left the club. Another large carving of an eagle was bought by an unsuspecting art lover for $40.

Many of stolen items end up being resold locally, with some shipped out, if they’re small and valuable enough.

To keep your possessions safe, lock everything, because many wanna-be-thieves simply walk into unlocked houses.

“One thing that people can do to assist themselves is to make sure they lock their possessions up — lock their houses up, lock their cars up, and keep a light on. Just do things to deter people from coming around their places,” Lecomte said. “Just lock the doors — plain and simple.”

It may be a sign of the times or a fact of life, he said, “but you have to lock things up.”

That lock-down is also taking place at more offices around Iqaluit, such as Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., which now requires visitors to ring in for entry.

Lecomte also encourages everyone to report all incidents of theft to police.

“If it doesn’t get reported, we don’t know what happened,” he said.

In some cases, police have recovered stolen property but didn’t know where to return the items because none of it was ever reported stolen.

The growing amount of property theft in Iqaluit seems to reflect its population size and growing number of well-off residents.

At least one incident involving armed robbery took place in Iqaluit during 2012, at building 343, which houses the DJ Specialties convenience store, in October.

In other Nunavut hubs, such as Cambridge Bay or Rankin Inlet, property theft and break-and-enters are still more often linked to youth vandalism.

As for stopping those who are responsible for the recent property crimes in Iqaluit, RCMP members arrested two men March 8, Lecomte said.

Jayco Kownirk, 26, has been charged with:

• three counts of theft under $5000;

• three counts of possessing stolen property;

• two counts of break and enter, two counts of resisting arrest;

• one count of possession of a break-in instrument, and;

• eight counts of failing to comply with conditions of his undertaking entered into before a Justice of the Peace.

Kownirk’s next court appearance is set for April 9 in Iqaluit.

Jamesie Kakee, 31, has been charged with:

• three counts of break and enter;

• one count of possessing stolen property, and;

• eight counts of failing to comply with conditions of a probation order.

Kakee was to have appeared in court in Iqaluit March 28.

A member of the RCMP checks out a snowmobile that’s been abandoned — possible after being stolen — on an Iqaluit street. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)