Concern and frustration over rising rural crime come after a group armed with guns was caught on camera storming a Manitoba family farm.
Mark Klippenstein woke up Sunday to texts from his uncle about a break-in at their family farm near Bagot, Man.
“They got a few tools and a few other things,” said Klippenstein.
However, he didn’t know how terrifying the incident was until he saw the surveillance footage captured around 3:30 a.m.
The videos show a pickup truck arriving on the property and several people jumping out with what appears to be guns.
Klippenstein said his cousin, who lives at the property, woke up to a cellphone alert and saw what was happening outside.
“It didn’t look real. You see six armed people get out of a vehicle and pointing guns all around. It’s just very alarming,” he said. “It’s definitely extremely brazen with just the armed individuals. It’s crazy.”
His cousin flipped on an outside light, and the group took off, but he said the ordeal could have ended a lot worse.
“It’s very scary.”
Manitoba RCMP said three separate property thefts in the area were reported Sunday between 3:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
Investigators said the suspects stole ATVs, power tools and in one case, a pickup truck.
RCMP said the vehicle was found around 6 a.m. in Sandy Bay First Nation, and a youth was arrested. Police are still searching for other suspects.
Even though police responded, Klippenstein said there is only so much they can do. He said these types of break-ins have become more common in the RM of North Norfolk over the past few years.
“There’s no consequences for these people…and they know it,” he said.
“Around here, it’s the last three years for sure. It seems like we’ve been hit a few times, us and other people in the RM for sure. Like some multiple times too.”
Jodie Byram, the PC MLA for Agassiz, said rural crime is a public safety issue that needs to be addressed.
“It impacts their ability to go to sleep and feel comfortable in their space in rural Manitoba. It’s becoming a bigger and growing concern,” said Byram.
In an emailed statement to CTV News Winnipeg, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the government is committed to making all of Manitoba safer.
“We increased municipal law enforcement funding by 28 per cent in 2024, and an additional two per cent escalator in 2025 after years of cuts under the previous government. This will mean more boots on the ground in rural communities across the province. In addition, we have brought back the electronic monitoring program cancelled by the previous government and expanded it to rural areas.”
