OPP Investigating Mischief At Wind Turbine Sites

(HURON COUNTY, ON) – Huron County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers are investigating a number of recent mischief complaints in relation to damaged property at wind turbine sites throughout the county. The majority of these occurrences have taken place in the Municipality of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, however the most recent case took place on Bridge Road in Huron East.

On October 10, 2014 Huron County OPP officers were notified of a mischief to a John Deere Nortrax excavator that sustained thousands of dollars in damage. The owner reported his excavator was parked overnight at a wind turbine site on Bridge Road when the damage occurred. Those responsible smashed windows in the cab area and then they destroyed various computer controls inside the cab compartment. The suspects also destroyed all of the paint markings on the ground that marked out where the operator needed to dig.

A similar occurrence took place in Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh on September 21, 2014. Two excavators that were parked on Glen’s Hill Road were vandalized when suspects hurled rocks through the windows of both a Caterpillar and a Hitachi excavator. These mischiefs caused approximately $10,000 in damages to the machines. Earlier, on September 13, 2014 Huron County OPP officers attended a Cransford Line wind turbine site to investigate damage to a porta-potty and damage to a light stand generator. All of the lights on the generator stand were smashed out and the porta potty was extensively damaged. The damages are estimated at $13,000.

Huron County OPP would like to point out – Mischief to property is a criminal offence that carries significant penalties upon conviction, up to and including imprisonment for 10 years.

The bulk of these mischiefs are taking place late at night or during the early morning hours. If you see something suspicious such as a suspicious vehicle or person(s) on or in the vicinity of a wind turbine site please call police immediately with as much information as possible. Your timely piece of information may help investigators solve these crimes.

The Huron OPP Crime Unit encourages anyone with information about these crimes to call the Huron OPP Detachment at 1-888-310-1122 or at (519) 524-8314 to speak with an investigator. Alternatively, should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

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