Crystal Whyte can only shake her head as she inspects the Seaforth Agricultural Society’s 600 pound safe, left broken, destroyed and emptied by thieves.
“This past weekend was the sixth break-in at the Seaforth Agri-Plex in the last few weeks,” says Whyte, a volunteer board member with the Seaforth Agricultural Society.
It all started the weekend of Sept. 10. Thieves broke into the office at the Seaforth Agricultural Society, and stole a large amount of cash from the non-profit organization’s locked box.
The next night they came back to do more damage, and stole food from the kitchen.
In October, thieves broke locks, doors and windows, as they stole food and the organization’s lone computer and router.
After installing cameras, and add more security, thieves broke in again on Nov. 5 and 6 — first stealing the newly installed security cameras, and the next night, removing the 600 pound safe, dragging into the open-air horse stables and stealing all the money and valuables from inside.
“We just can’t keep them out. We fix this door, and that door, and we put on new locks and they keep bringing bigger, better equipment to break-in,” says a frustrated Whyte.
Whyte figures the agricultural society that runs the local fall fair and other agricultural-themed events throughout the year are out thousands of dollars, and countless hours of repairs, and heartache.
This is only made worse by their suspicion that the thieves are likely from the local community, because the thefts happen before or after large fundraising events, when they’d have large amounts of money at their headquarters, which only members of the local community would know about.
“To think it’s someone from our community that is causing us all this grief is very disheartening,” says Whyte.
Police are investigating all the thefts, and have told Whyte that they’ll increase patrols in the area, but no avail so far.
“We’ve done everything we can. We’re not able to keep them out, so now we have to think about not keeping anything of any value here,” she says.
Whyte says along with removing all valuables from their buildings, they want their expansive grounds to be accessible to the community, but they may have to restrict access to them to better protect their property from these recurring thefts.
“It’s hard to have to put up fences and gates to keep everyone out from enjoying this property, but we’re at our wits end, and we don’t know what to do next,” says Whyte.
