Dozens of firearms stolen in Winkler, Brandon thefts

Police in Brandon and Winkler are investigating two separate thefts that saw dozens of firearms and other weapons stolen.

Officers in Winkler, Man., say at least 35 handguns were stolen after they said a truck backed through the front of a store in the southern Manitoba city on Tuesday morning. 

"Obviously we have a great concern over this," Winkler Police Service deputy chief Chris Kalansky told CBC's Radio Noon. "Having firearms, especially handguns, in the hands of criminals is not good situation and so it's caused us concern for that." 

Kalansky said officers were first alerted to the break-in by the store's alarm system and were at the scene within minutes. But the suspects, and the firearms, were already gone.

"The thieves were only in the store for only about one and a half minutes," said Kalansky, adding that the store sustained quite a bit of damage.

He said store staff were working on counting inventory on Tuesday morning to determine if anything else, like ammunition, had been taken as well. He said the firearms were properly stored at the time they were taken. 

Kalansky said other police forces have been alerted to the theft and officers are reviewing surveillance footage from the store.

The truck, which Kalansky said was reported stolen, was recovered later Tuesday morning outside Winkler. 

"This is a first for us, for a theft of this magnitude and this severity," he said. 

He urged anyone with information on the incident to contact the Winkler Police Service at 204-325-0829 or Manitoba Crime Stoppers. 

9 firearms stolen in Brandon 

Meantime, police in Brandon are investigating after a gun safe with nine firearms and other weapons was stolen from a residence over the weekend.

Police said the residence, located in the Brentwood Village Trailer Court, was broken into sometime between 6 p.m. on Nov. 24 and 7:45 p.m. on Nov. 26 by someone who kicked in the door. 

Police said the stolen gun safe contained five rifles, two shotguns, two handguns, a crossbow and multiple knives and swords. 

Brandon police spokesperson Const. Grant McKay told CBC the incident serves as a good reminder to homeowners that gun safes should also be secured.

"The gun safe should be secured to a wall or something other than just being stuck in a closet," he said. "If it's not bolted down to a floor or to a wall, it's very easily removed from a residence." 

Police continue to investigate and asked anyone with information to call Brandon Police or Crime Stoppers.