Checkpoint a hot spot for stolen ATV recovery

Ontario Provincial Police in North Bay recovered four stolen all-terrain vehicles while conducting roadside checks Thursday.

The checks were being done on Hwy 11 at Sand Dam Hill.

More information follows in the OPP release.


OPP Roadside Checkpoint A Hot Spot For Stolen ATV Recovery

A seven-hour long OPP roadside checkpoint on Hwy 11 at Sand Dam Road Oct. 9 led to the recovery of four stolen all-terrain vehicles.

Members of the SAVE (Snowmobile, All-Terrain, Vessel Enforcement) Team and an OPP auto-theft specialist checked for impaired drivers, seat belt driving offences and ATV ownership and registration.

In separate incidents, the machines were recovered during a number of unrelated traffic spot checks. Four men from southern Ontario were charged with possession of stolen property. The investigations into the stolen ATVs continue.

Thirty-five ATV owners were given warnings about improper licence plate attachment and placement, and one driver was charged with seat belt violations. There were no drinking and driving offences.

"You can reduce the risk of losing your machine to opportunistic thieves," explains SAVE Team sergeant Kevin Sydock.

"Secure your machine with a chain even when it's parked in your garage. If you are storing it on a trailer, secure the machine with a good quality lock and then chain the trailer to a secure object."