The RNC is urging contractors to take steps to better secure their property and construction sites after another crime of opportunity involving the theft of a bank machine using a piece of heavy equipment.
The RBC on Commonwealth Avenue in Mount Pearl was the latest bank to be hit using equipment at a nearby construction site. In this case, the construction site was literally next door to the bank.
Another bank hit with a suspected construction-style vehicle. This time, in Mt. Pearl at RBC.
This comes just two doors down from the Credit Union hit in Sept.
This joins the Scotiabank (Carbonear), RBC (Holyrood) and Esso (Looking for an ATM)(Kenmount Road) since late Nov. pic.twitter.com/yNg7pD8mw4
— Zack Power (@zackpowerNL) January 13, 2025
That brings to four incidents in the last month or so involving heavy equipment causing extensive damage to businesses and banks.
They include the Esso on Kenmount Road, the RBC in Holyrood, a Scotiabank drive-thru in Carbonear and now the RBC in Mount Pearl.
The Constabulary is investigating and is asking contractors to take steps to secure their property at construction sites and consider installing locks on cabs, doors and control panels. Police say immobilizers can also be used to prevent unauthorized use, and alarms can be set to trigger when equipment is being tampered with.
The RNC says keys to heavy machinery should never be left on site, and a key management system would also help to prevent the resale or key cutting.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the RNC or Crime Stoppers.
Mount Pearl Mayor Urges Province for Action
Mount Pearl Mayor Dave Aker is calling on the provincial government to create a set of standards for those who own and operate heavy machinery.
Aker says it’s become a public safety issue.
“It’s more than likely it could happen in the daytime, or it could happen at a time when there’s customers or employees in a building. And I don’t know, through the vehicle registration process, if perhaps, there has to be some type of a certification,” he told VOCM News.
