Manitoba man frustrated by slow police response to stolen item on Kijiji

Not long after Mike Hameluck's winch was swiped from the back of his truck two weeks ago in a Selkirk, Man., parking lot, he had what seemed like an unlikely stroke of luck: a text from a friend who had found the stolen tool for sale on Kijiji.

Hameluck instantly recognized it as his own. It was even still in the bag he'd packed it in.

So with the Kijiji ad in hand along with parking lot security footage from a nearby store that showed the winch being stolen, plus images of the robber's vehicle and licence plate he went back to the RCMP, where he had already reported the theft.

Hameluck told CBC's Information Radio host Marcy Markusa he was told the officer assigned to his case wouldn't be reporting to work until later that night, so he would have to wait for an update.

Instead of taking the chance that the tool would sell and be lost forever, Hameluck said he offered up a suggestion of his own.

"Fine and dandy," he told the officer. "I'm on my way back from Hecla again. I'll try to do a sting."

Hameluck said he was advised not to, but called the seller anyway to try to set up a meeting.

Only two hours after the ad was posted, he was told someone else had already bought the winch, which was listed for about half its original $1,000 price tag.

"I didn't blow up and I didn't tip off that I was the guy that they stole it from, because I didn't want to interfere with the police investigation," he said.

And while RCMPnow say they've arrested someone in connection with the theft, Hamelucksaidhe wishes they would have moved faster. Because the tool had already been sold, police weren't able to get back the stolen item.

"It's really frustrating. When you've got an actual video, you've got licence plate numbers, you've got the whole thing right there in front of you, you think that that's a win," Hameluck said.

Keep photos, serial numbers: police

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Julie Courchaine said she can see why someone in Hameluck's situation would be upset, but police can't jump on each case with the same level of dedication.

"We have to prioritize calls for service," she said. "So if there are more serious investigations, those will always be the priority."

She also cautioned people not to try to set up "stings" where they confront suspected thieves reselling items online.

"You have to remember that you are dealing with potential criminals," she said. "Your safety is more important than property."

And while an arrest was made in Hameluck's case, Courchaine said it's often tough for police to prove an item is stolen because many people don't keep serial numbers or photos of their posessions.

For people looking to buy online, she cautioned to keep an eye out for signals that suggest something isn't quite right. While buyers can't be held responsible for purchasing items they don't know are stolen, they also can't be "wilfully blind."

"Do your own due diligence. Trust your instincts. If it feels wrong, it probably is. Or if [it seems] too good to be true, it probably is," Courchaine said.

She suggested asking sellers for their items'serial numbers, which prospective buyers can use to search on the Canadian Police Information Centre's website to see if something has been reported stolen.

Even looking at what the seller has listed in the past, or consulting reviews if that's an option, is good practice, she said.

Courchaine did not have statistics on this particular type of crime in Manitoba, but said overall property crime in the province went down by 18 per cent from 2019 to 2020.

She said she suspects that was in part due toso many people working from home during the pandemic, which left thieves with fewer opportunities to target homes.