Thefts of cash and property are continuing around town. The Alaska Seaplanes office and boat owners at the Small Boat Harbor are the latest victims.
Haines Borough police chief Bill Musser did not respond to multiple calls and emails for comment on the thefts.
The airline office was burgled after business hours Thursday, Sept. 25, when a padlock was removed from an office door and about $150 was taken.
A locked door inside the building also was tampered with, said Alaska Seaplanes general manager Carl Ramseth.
Ramseth was headed to Haines on a flight the morning the theft was discovered.
“We found out when we got there what had happened,” Ramseth said. “We don’t think it was a current or former employee. There are a lot of people that are familiar with the office. If they fly, they’ve been in there.”
Only cash was taken from the office. “They were targeting the cash, it appeared. There was no other evidence of anyone being in there. Nothing else appeared to have been moved or touched,” Ramseth said.
To his knowledge, the break-in is the building’s first, Ramseth said. “I know that at the parking lot at the airport, vehicles get rifled and fuel disappears. It’s off the beaten path, so it’s a difficult place to keep a close eye on.”
Ramseth spoke with police chief Musser, who told Ramseth similar thefts involving cutting locks occurred around town recently.
“We’re not the first business that has been hit,” Ramseth said. “I got the impression from the chief that there is a pattern and that they have some ideas.”
Ramseth said Alaska Seaplanes used a light to medium-duty padlock to secure the building, but has switched to a stouter, heavier lock at Musser’s suggestion.
Vessel owners reported Monday that two boats moored at the Small Boat Harbor had been broken into.
Fisherman Danny Thomas took to Facebook, asking people to watch for anyone selling a Blu-ray player and DVDs he said were missing from his boat.
The harbor has a security camera, but it’s trained on the dumpster to track prohibited use.
Benner said he may talk to manager David Sosa about having an additional camera installed.
Other thefts recently include lock-cutting of donation boxes at Haines Friends of Recycling and a break-in at the consignment shop What’s In Store.