On April 25, 2008 during the early morning hours, boats were cut loose from their moorings and more than $12,000 in fishing equipment was stolen. The suspects appear to have stolen one boat and used it as transportation to the others. According to investigators, the boat believed to have been used to cross the channel was stolen from a dock near the 1-mile marker of the Grand Glaize Arm on Beach Drive in Osage Beach. It appears the thieves used the stolen boat to motor across the Grand Glaize Arm to a dock at the end of Passover Road, where they cut several boats loose, towed them out to the channel and left them adrift after they were stripped of rods, reels and tackle boxes. The thieves then returned to the other side of the channel, unloaded the stolen items from the other boats at a community ramp located at the end of Bonnie Drive in Osage Beach, they then left the area, leaving the boats drifting on the lake.
Simple precautionary measures can go a long way to discourage thieves who usually are looking for easy items to steal such as fishing equipment, electronics and anything else of value.
The Water Patrol offers a few tips to lower your risk of thefts:
· Store valuables in a secure, locked facility rather than leaving them in the open.
· Remove all items of value from their boats and docks when possible. One of the most effective deterrents of theft is lighting. Docks and marinas should be illuminated at night to give the appearance of activity. Lighting on docks can be added in the form of blue dock lights, yellow bug lights or regular lights with sensors or timers.
· Items attached or stowed onboard boats should be inventoried with serial numbers, if available. The color, make and model also should be logged. If an item does not have a serial number, a personal marking, such as initials, should be engraved onto it. Serial numbers or an identifying marking is important in recovering stolen property. Photos are helpful, but it needs some type of identifying mark.
· Video cameras may deter thieves and assist authorities in apprehending suspects. They are especially helpful on community docks.
If anyone sees anything suspicious, please report it immediately. If anyone has any information about these thefts or secondary markets for fishing tackle, please contact the Missouri State Water Patrol (573) 751-3333 or go online to http://www.mswp.dps.mo.gov and click on the crime tip link to leave an anonymous tip.
News Release ID: N07080026
Release Date: 20080428
Simple precautionary measures can go a long way to discourage thieves who usually are looking for easy items to steal such as fishing equipment, electronics and anything else of value.
The Water Patrol offers a few tips to lower your risk of thefts:
· Store valuables in a secure, locked facility rather than leaving them in the open.
· Remove all items of value from their boats and docks when possible. One of the most effective deterrents of theft is lighting. Docks and marinas should be illuminated at night to give the appearance of activity. Lighting on docks can be added in the form of blue dock lights, yellow bug lights or regular lights with sensors or timers.
· Items attached or stowed onboard boats should be inventoried with serial numbers, if available. The color, make and model also should be logged. If an item does not have a serial number, a personal marking, such as initials, should be engraved onto it. Serial numbers or an identifying marking is important in recovering stolen property. Photos are helpful, but it needs some type of identifying mark.
· Video cameras may deter thieves and assist authorities in apprehending suspects. They are especially helpful on community docks.
If anyone sees anything suspicious, please report it immediately. If anyone has any information about these thefts or secondary markets for fishing tackle, please contact the Missouri State Water Patrol (573) 751-3333 or go online to http://www.mswp.dps.mo.gov and click on the crime tip link to leave an anonymous tip.
News Release ID: N07080026
Release Date: 20080428