Calgary poppy box thefts down 50 per cent from 2015

The number of poppy box thefts has been declining this year, following a rash of the crimes in 2015.

Forty-two boxes were stolen from various locations around Calgary last year. As of Thursday, there were fewer than 19 confirmed cases this year.

The tally doesn’t include the theft of a poppy box from a High River motel on Tuesday.

RCMP arrested and charged a minor in connection with that incident on Wednesday.

The apparent decline in Poppy Fund thefts is a relief to officials. Money from the fund goes to veterans who need not only the necessities of life, but specific purchases such as hearing aids and eyeglasses.

“I’m taking satisfaction that the people who may steal are thinking twice about who that money is going to,” said Joey Bleviss, CEO of the Calgary Poppy Fund.

“The money that is raised goes to help our veterans, their spouses and their dependents.”

Last year, the CPF lost nearly $3,000 in donations as a result of thefts and installed new, “harder to steal” boxes, which are made from composite steel and come with a wire that can be attached to a hard surface.

With news surfacing last week that the Veterans Food Bank was seeing nearly bare shelves, Bleviss said Calgarians have come out in droves to help fill the void.

“It’s going very, very well. I’m quite happy with the way corporate Calgary and citizens of Calgary have helped out,” said Bleviss.

However, Bleviss wants to remind everyone that the rest of the year remains a struggle for those who need help the most.

“One of the things that I keep stressing is we have veterans who are still around from Korea and Afghanistan, peacekeeping missions. They still require our assistance,” Bleviss said.

“A veteran is a veteran is a veteran, whether they serve overseas or not,” he added.