A Mission, South Dakota man is charged with a felony after he allegedly stole a road motor grader from an adjacent roads department and drove it over 20 miles across the state border into Valentine, Nebraska.
The rare occurrence raises serious issues about the safety of the equipment and the monitoring procedures within the department. It occurred on the early morning of June 26 and has since drawn attention from both states.
Road Grader Theft Sparks Multi-Agency Investigation
Court documents report that authorities arrested Calvin Hunger, a 35-year-old former employee of the Todd County Roads Department, just after midnight in Valentine.
It was noted that the stolen road motor grader was identified through its GPS track, which pinpointed its location to the city boundary.
Valentine police officers found the machine parked at Circle K Motors, right next to the Bunkhouse Restaurant.
The officers discovered Hunger still seated in the grader with the engine running. He was told to get out of the vehicle at the point of a gun and was arrested without incident.
The road motor grader was stolen from a secured place in Mission in South Dakota, where someone drove it through a particular fence.
Todd County Sheriff has acknowledged that the suspect had manipulated the manual means of access (keys to the office of the department and personal familiarity with the functioning of the Apparatus), meaning that the suspect had already pre-planned the usual procedures of the Sheriff’s Office.
Theft Raises Concerns Over Equipment Security
This accident presents emergency concerns regarding the safety of accessing heavy equipment. Such as road motor graders, in the hands of the users in the public works departments.
The stolen grader at a value of over $5,000 is both a major investment of the public and a very important infrastructure equipment.
Hunger had prior experience with the department and knew how to use the grader. Since he had been working in the department. Another reason why he was able to access the facility or machinery was that he was supposedly in possession of a key to the facility or machinery.
He had access to the area with no visible security observed at the location. Which is what allowed the theft to take place without the alarm immediately.
The scenario highlights a bigger problem encountered by several municipalities. What is the structure on how to protect costly public equipment? yet we are able to sustain smooth operations to some extent.
The illegal possession of heavy machinery not only carries with it legal and financial hazards but also puts others at risk.
Role of GPS Tracking in Rapid Recovery
The GPS device mounted on the highway motor grader assisted the police. Hours after its theft, real-time tracking placed it in Valentine. The police quickly recovered it before anyone could cause any damage.
Firstly, GPS technology is now prevalent in fleets of government and heavy machinery, as seen in this case. Secondly, they aid in recovery from theft and offer location history, usage, and security features for management of the fleet.
Lastly, this technology largely enabled the rapid recuperation of the grader.
Which underscores the significance of GPS in the protection of public property.
Legal Ramifications and Felony Charges
Authorities have charged Calvin Hunger with a Class 2A felony for stealing property valued at $5,000. This lead him to a 20-year prison term. He first appeared in court on Monday, with additional hearings to come.
His prior work experience for the roads department would greatly influence the legal case. Indicating the action was intentional and based on inside information.
Furthermore, the prosecutors would be able to claim this severity due to the breach of public trust.
The case calls for a procedural change in employee turnover. Again, especially in the instance of valuable equipment though.
You must return all the keys and deactivate access credentials to prevent future accidents.
