Saskatoon police track down stolen Elizabeth Fry Society sign, no charges laid

Property returned to Sask. group WATCH: CTV Saskatoon's Francois Biber on a theft that worried a group that helps at-risk women and girls.

SASKATOON — The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan is breathing a sigh of relief after its magnetic sign was taken off the organization’s vehicle and slapped on an unknown vehicle for a couple of days.

According to the organization, which helps at-risk women and girls in need of social support and legal assistance and advocacy, the sign was taken from the organization’s vehicle sometime between Sunday and Monday.

Executive director Kayleigh Lafontaine said she was notified by someone that a vehicle was driving around with the Elizabeth Fry sign on the vehicle.

The first concern being that someone was representing the organization collecting donations.

“Or worse case scenario, is someone driving around luring vulnerable women and girls to the vehicle,” Lafontaine said.

The organization’s vehicle is used to take people to appointments, make pick ups from correctional centres, and community outreach.

Lafontaine said someone called the office Wednesday to say they spotted the vehicle. She phoned police and the vehicle was located and the magnetic sign was recovered.

According to the Saskatoon Police Service, on Aug. 10 it received a report of a suspicious vehicle displaying an Elizabeth Fry Society magnet parked in the area of Herold Terrace in the city’s Lakewood neighbourhood.

“An officer attended the area and located the vehicle with three occupants inside,” SPS spokesperson Kelsie Fraser said in an email.

“Subsequent investigation found no evidence of malicious intent and no charges were laid as a result. The magnet was seized by police,” she said.

Lafontaine tells CTV News police told her the people in the vehicle said they didn’t know the sign was on the vehicle.

She said she felt as though the seriousness of this incident wasn’t fully appreciated and hopes to connect with SPS Chief Troy Cooper in the near future.

“It felt very much like ‘here's your magnet, we had no concerns,’ the suspects basically said “we didn’t know it was on the vehicle,” Lafontaine said.

“Am I okay with there not being charges? Yes, if they believe that it wasn’t malicious then I at a point have to trust that.”

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