Poppy box thefts down from previous years

The number of thefts of poppy fund boxes has gone down “quite a bit” since last year, according to Calgary police.

Between Oct. 25 and Nov. 12, police said there were only seven reported thefts of the donation boxes, down from 27 thefts in both 2017 and 2016.

Calgary had seen a rise in thefts of the boxes over the past few years, alongside the city’s economic downturn. In 2014, police reported 18 poppy boxes were stolen, while in 2015, the number soared to 42.

Due to the string of thefts over the years, support grew in 2017 for adopting a Cochrane man’s theftproof poppy boxes — a sliding matchbox container that’s tethered to a vendor’s counter.

However, the Royal Canadian Legion’s national command ultimately declined to use the boxes in the city due to the rarity of thefts.

“The theft of poppy boxes is not a big problem across the country; it happens in pockets,” Nujma Bond, spokeswoman for Legion Dominion Command, said at the time. “It’s not seen as something that’s required.”

The command oversees the Poppy Fund campaign that benefits veterans and their families.

Of the thefts that occurred this year, four happened at separate Tim Hortons locations across the city, while other thefts occurred at a 7-Eleven along 16th Avenue N.E., a Petro Canada on Kensington Road N.W. and a donair shop along Macleod Trail S.W.

Police said charges have been laid in two of the incidents but they do not know the total amount of funds stolen, as not all businesses keep track of how much money is donated. Proceeds from the collection campaign directly serve veterans in areas ranging from medical expenses to education bursaries for dependents.