Thieves target ATVs, skid loaders

LITCHFIELD (AP) -- The map shows where the enemy has struck.

In this war, the targets are mostly Polaris dealers. And the enemies are thieves who take all-terrain vehicles, snowmobile trailers, riding lawn mowers and Bobcat skid loaders. Sometimes they steal $75,000 worth in a night.

"The dealerships are in yellow, and the ones that have been hit have red marked over the yellow," said Bob Pace of the Meeker County Sheriff's Office. "There's a lot of red."

Pace's map provides mounting evidence that a ring of ATV and Bobcat rustlers is working greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Authorities have met over the past few months to swap leads and information. Pace has put out bulletins on the Minnesota Crime Alert Network to generate tips and urge dealerships to take extra precautions.

"We're very concerned that it could be a ring, and for that reason, we believe there's more potential for these crimes to continue," Pace said.

Dealership owners say they're frustrated by the lack of arrests and afraid that the thieves will come back. Several have been hit more than once.

"We need to do something about this. I've got everything in my life invested here," said Tim Cox, who owns Farm Rite Equipment in Dassel.

Thieves have struck Cox's business twice since December. Although Cox has insurance, he and other owners say high deductibles on policies prevent them from recovering all they've lost.

The rustling-ring theory is based largely on the thefts' similarities, said Pace and other law enforcement officials.

The thieves target dealers, swoop in during the night and have expensive tastes -- preferring Polaris ATVs, John Deere riding lawn mowers and high-end Bobcats, which can cost $40,000 or more.

"These thieves know what they're looking for," said Mike Bristow, whose St. Cloud dealership lost 11 ATVs, a truck and a trailer in one night "They target a good product."

Another common denominator is something that happened at Bristow's business: Trucks and trailers are often taken and apparently used to haul away the other stolen goods.

Sam Stensgard, chief of police in Rushford, estimated that the amount of equipment stolen in Minnesota and Wisconsin amounts to millions of dollars.

"It's a big problem," he said.