Thieves used a backhoe to break into a liquor store on Blackmarsh Road in St. John’s early Tuesday, the last time heavy equipment was used in a robbery in the metro region.
An alarm went off at the liquor store attached to a Dominion supermarket around 4:45am NT, after the machine drove through the front entrance and two men left with stolen merchandise.
Const. James Cadigan said the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary’s investigation is continuing and police now know it was a two-man job.
The backhoe was found in the Melville Place area shortly after police arrived at the store.
The machine was stolen from Urban Market 1919 on LeMarchant Road earlier this evening. The company had used it to clear snow.
“It’s very stressful. You know, we had our snowplow stolen two years ago,” Urban Market co-owner Greg Hanley said Tuesday.
“It’s an expensive proposition for a snow removal crew, and you know, it really hurts small businesses.”
When Greg Hanley discovered his snowplow was gone, it had already been used to drive through the front wall of a nearby liquor store. Now, the owner of the urban market in St. John’s says his small business will be forced to spend more on security.
Hanley said entry was likely gained through a universal key, intended to open all types of machines from a single manufacturer to facilitate their use on construction sites.
The backhoe was recovered but is currently in police custody.
Backhoes have been used in crimes in Newfoundland and Labrador in recent years, mostly to break into buildings or to rob ATMs at banks or gas stations.
Hanley said they have already made efforts to protect against future thefts, ordering a GPS unit for the backhoe and a new key system that would allow the backhoe to be turned off remotely.
Cadigan said the repeated use of backhoes shows a level of desperation.
“We would certainly advise anybody who has heavy equipment in their possession that they operate to, you know, take steps to secure their vehicle and make sure that it can’t just be started with the universal key,” Cadigan said .
“Access, you know, will be more difficult if you take steps to secure it.”
Police are asking for the public’s help as part of the investigation and are looking for any video footage from between 3:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. Tuesday in the areas of Hamilton Avenue, LeMarchant Road and Blackmarsh Road.
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