BROOKINGS – Brookings Police have issued a warning about leaving items out after a snowblower was taken from a driveway.
The snowblower was reported taken at 2:30 p.m. Thursday and it occurred in the 1300 block of Second Street, Assistant Chief Derrick Powers said.
He thinks the theft could be tied to Brookings’ spring clean-up, which was re-scheduled to start April 16 due to the snow and cold. Some residents are already cleaning out basements and garages and putting the items on the curb, where they will be picked up by city workers.
The red medium-sized snowblower was left in the driveway, Powers said. It was a newer model and was left out to be picked up for maintenance work.
A neighbor saw a person, described as a white male with a slim build and approximately 30 years old, load the snowblower into a vehicle, described as a black SUV or van, and drive away.
“The vehicle had dealer tags in the window, (which were) tinted,” Powers said.
In this case, the owner wants their property back.
“Certainly, the snowblower needs to be returned,” Powers said, adding that the Police Department can be contacted at 692-2113 to make arrangements.
“I don’t know what the intent was here,” Powers said. “We’ve seen things taken before, during spring clean-up.”
Sometimes it’s an honest mistake, sometimes it’s not, and sometimes there’s a gray area where intentions are confused.
Even though items are supposed to be left on the curb only, Powers warned residents to not leave anything in their front yards to avoid the confusion.
“You need to be careful about the things that you put out there that you don’t want taken from your yard, especially around this time of year because people can mistake that for things that they think are free for the taking,” Powers said.
As for those who are looking for free stuff, he warned them to be careful what they pick up, especially if it’s not on the curb.
“I would encourage people that are rummaging for things … don’t go onto people’s property. (You) just want to be careful about items that are set out there … when in doubt, leave it there. Don’t just assume that something on the property is free for the taking. You could be committing a theft by taking someone’s property,” Powers said.
Contact Jodelle Greiner at jgreiner@brookingsregister.com.
