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Saskatoon Crime Stoppers post cheeky plea for help in search for suspects

Nov 2, 2018 | 10:21 AM

Saskatoon Crime Stoppers has identified two men in connection with a recent incident in that city and say at least one of them has ties to Prince Albert. 

The organization posted a tongue-in-cheek message to their Facebook page this week asking for the public’s help in locating the two men. Saskatoon Crime Stoppers say the men have now been identified, but would not give their names as charges are pending. 

“Now they haven’t been arrested yet. And we have reason to believe that at least one of them may be in the Prince Albert area and could be staying at a hotel or motel,” the post reads. “Your assignment, should you chose to accept (and we know you will), is to make sure this message reaches all the hotels up there. We are sure a bellhop or manager wouldn’t mind giving a tip for some extra cash.”

Saskatoon Crime Stoppers posted a photo of the men Oct. 30, saying they were wanted in connection with a rash of mailbox thefts. Cst. Ryan Ehalt manages the Saskatoon Crime Stoppers Facebook page and said he tries to write witty or even emotional posts that tap into the general public’s response to crime in their community. 

“We try to treat it as we would want to be treated if we were following something on Facebook, what would we want to know about? And this is one of those things that we know the public really appreciates,” Ehalt told paNOW

 

Ehalt said public interest in the Facebook page and social media posts is important to catching criminals in the community. He said Crime Stoppers is having a lot of success with social media, and statistics show it has led to an increase in arrests. The organization has been recognized internationally as well, Ehalt added.

“Last year, we solved 104 different investigations, and in 2016, the year before, we solved only 30,” he said. “This year, we’ve solved about 70 different investigations.”

Saskatoon Crime Stoppers says it will pay up $2,000 for any information that leads to arrests. 

“They can run, but then they just go to jail tired,” the Crime Stoppers Facebook post noted.

 

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 5:53 p.m. on Nov. 2, 2018 to include comments from Cst. Ryan Ehalt. 

 

panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow