National
Saddle and Tack Thefts
By Ann Stithem
Nov 15, 2005, 21:34

Dear Tracy:

I am sending this letter to you in hopes that you will publish this public service notice as you have so kindly done in the past. The Northeastern part of Maricopa County is again experiencing an increase in saddle and tack burglaries after a relative calm for the past year. This article is written for everyone in the State, not just in our area in hopes that owners of saddles and tack will become aware that there can be a possible loss of property, if precautions are not taken as to the storing and handling of their saddles and tack with care, as well as placing our residents on guard as to trespassers with intent to steal their property or their neighbor’s property. I have been asked to place another letter into the Bridle and Bit, which was first written back in December, 2000 as a reminder that saddle and tack thefts are starting up again.

I hope that all of you have had a good summer, and now are enjoying our wonderful Arizona weather. We are now coming into a time that is absolutely perfect for sports that involved the outdoors and horses. The show season is coming, and we are busy getting our animals ready for the season, trail riding is at a high with many of us taking our animals and trailering out into the “boonies” to ride. Many new saddles are in the tack rooms waiting for that nice old gelding to teach your sons and daughters how to ride. Many new custom saddles have been purchased or custom ordered tooled with your names, patterns and designs, and that show halter trimmed in silver or gold is ready for the show season. Well folks, that is the good news!

Now for the Bad News! The bad news is that the saddle and tack thefts have again started and have gone from just a few opportunistic-type thefts to intentionally planned burglaries. What is the difference? The Opportunistic theft would be you have parked your pickup truck with your cutting saddle and headstall (or your English saddle and bridle) in the back while you run into the local feed store to pick up some supplements for your animals. A person pulls up next to you, sees the saddles and tack and takes them from the back of your truck into the back of his truck and pulls away. (this is a crime of opportunity). “It was there for the taking” is his thinking. A Burglary that has intent to steal from your property is very different. This is a planned crime with an intent to deprive you of your property and convert the property into cash for his own use. These guys are not looking for a wonderful custom-made saddle for their own personal use. They are looking for the cash that these saddles will bring them.

Not one of the last three saddle and tack felons whose cases I have been associated with even owned a horse at the time they were stealing saddles, but what all three did have in common was- they knew saddles and leather goods-so at one time they must have been involved with horses. They knew exactly what they were looking for when committing their crimes, and exactly where the saddles were kept with each burglary. The footprints told the tale. The footprints at the sites of the thefts did not show a lot of walking around, or attempts to get into many different areas to find the saddles. They walked directly up to where the saddles were kept, opened the unlocked door, or broke open the locked doors with a crow-bar, or kicked it in and took the saddles and walked directly back to the pickup truck or car that was waiting for them. They usually walked in their same prints back and forth. They cut the electrical wiring for the alarms, and again went right to the wiring, they did not walk around in circles. They knew where everything was located. I have heard again and again “They took the good saddles and tack, and left the old, or less expensive items.” These guys know what they are doing. No time wasted-in and out.

What type of person is doing this? Two of them were older-mid-40s and 50s. Two of them had drug habits. One was a horseshoer who gained entry to your property under the guise of working with your animals, talking to you, finding out your patterns and work hours, while he sized up your property and location of the saddles. The other two were professional felons, in that they both had long records dating back to their early teens, and been incarcerated time and again, in many different states. Their only trade was stealing to supply their various needs. All three were Caucasian. Two drove pickup trucks, and one drove an old four-door passenger car in gunmetal gray with a torn soft top.

Where do the saddles go? I hear that again and again, also. All of these last three felons sold the saddles right here in Arizona within a 120 miles radius of where they were stolen directly to feed stores, saddle and tack stores, and pawnshops. At one time I believed they were being trafficked into Mexico or South America. I even heard rumors of our American made saddles being shipped to Europe. However, after years of researching this, they did not go to Mexico or foreign soils. Mexican saddle makers are one of the best in the world, so why would they have to steal and buy American saddles? No, folks, the bad news again is that they were purchased by your local dealers’ unknowingly’ in saddle and tack, or feed stores, or pawnshops, displayed for sale, and purchased from them by your fellow residents in Arizona. One of these felons, not only sold the saddles here in this state, but used them as cash to travel back to Illinois to see his Mother. However, to supplement his income, he also stole along the way.

So, you ask, what can I do to stop this type of crime and not aid in these crimes by not protecting my property?

We suggest you keep all saddles and tack in secured areas. An unlocked horse trailer inside a fenced yard is not a deterrent. A large attack-trained Rottweiler or Doberman that only venture out at night and will stay on your property are great deterrents. However, a lot of these burglaries occurred during the day hours, when your dogs are penned up, not all, but many. Actually, all those “protectors of the property canines” were asleep next to your beds or at the end of your beds when the nighttime burglaries occurred.

If you have a tack room, it should be locked and fitted with either sound or light sensors, or both, alarming is excellent, of course, but the best case scenarios would be to bring the tack into your home i.e. garage, laundry room whatever. A custom saddle is costly and time consuming to replace. A locked tack shed is not enough as crow bars are used to do a quick pry job, or bold cutters are used to cut locks and chains. The mini-storage units (similar to the ocean cargo units) would also be a suggestion. They would have to literally use a cutting torch to take time to get into these, which is time consuming, and unless your place is empty, time is something these thieves don’t want to spend.

Most custom-made saddles have the saddle maker’s serial number or name either tooled into the leather or stamped under the front left flap or skirt of the saddle.

If you are an owner of a saddle, and it doesn’t have a serial number or stamp, then to get your saddle so it has its own unique serial number or OAN (Owner Applied Number), I would suggest that you go to a craft store and purchase a leather tooling or wood burning kit, and then burn into the leather, under the front left flap or skirt, a number that is unique to you (date of birth, part of a social security number, driver’s license number, etc.) Then put an AZ after the number chosen. That way, law enforcement when searching for stolen saddles, or confiscating stolen saddles, will look for these engravings and know that saddle at one time or another was from Arizona, or still belongs in Arizona, and those numbers and letters are something they can track through NCIC (National Crime Information Center).

When your saddle has been stolen and law enforcement is taking the report, you will give them your serial number or OAN (Owner Applied Number), and that agency where you reported the saddle stolen will enter the saddle number (either the serial number or OAN) and your description of the saddle into the NCIC data bank (National Crime Information Center). This information will stay in NCIC for the next two years. If the saddle or tack is found or recovered, any law enforcement agency throughout the United States, upon entering the number on the saddle, will receive a “HIT” as stolen from whatever jurisdiction entered it, and you can get the saddle returned to you.

When people call concerning saddle and tack thefts, this is usually what is covered in my standard response:

Make a Police Report to the law enforcement agency in your jurisdiction where the saddle was stolen. Give full descriptions and information on the saddle and tack stolen.

Write down the report number. This is very important. Everything you do to recover your saddle or identifying your saddle will relate to this number.

Carry that report number or copy of the actual report with you. Keep the number in your glove compartment of your vehicle, or wallet or purse for quick reference. Again, this is important.

If you find your saddle, do not confront the person riding in that saddle or the storeowner. Leave the area and get to the nearest phone. Call the local law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where you are: If you are in Scottsdale, call Scottsdale Police department, if in Chandler-call Chandler Police Department, if in Cave Creek – call Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, in Florence- Call Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, in Tucson –Call Tucson Police Department, or Yarnell call Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, etc, etc. Tell the Operator with the agency you called, that you wish to have a Patrol Officer or Deputy meet you, and give them your address, and let the Officer handle the situation. The Officer will want the Case number, and, of course, you will have it with you, so that you can prove that you made a report concerning this burglary or theft in your home jurisdiction.

If your saddle was stolen from the front of your horse trailer, and you had just washed this trailer within the previous day or two, ask the Officer or Police Aide if they can have the trailer fingerprinted. Good prints can be retrieved up to five days-provided no dust storms, rain, sprinkler, kids checking for evidence.

Also, if the scene of the crime had just been raked and there are good tire tracks, shoe tracks, ask if prints can be taken of those also. Do not walk all over the crime scene. Try and keep that area as free of traffic until the Officer arrives and has a chance to look at the area. The Officer or Crime Scene Specialist will make the determination as to whether prints can be lifted or not.

Be alert to all the people you are round and those that might be observing your activities. There are many people in your area daily that you may not deal with directly, but they are aware of your comings and goings. Check out any suspicious cars or trucks in your area. Take down the registration plate numbers if you become suspicious, and call the law enforcement agency responsible for your neighborhood.

7. Talk to your neighbors about any burglaries you know in your area. Communications between neighbors is a great way of making everyone alert and aware of problems that are being experienced by your and in your neighborhood. With the high walls around properties, and busy schedules, people have stopped talking to their neighbors. Take the time to ride over to the people working on the front acreage across the road and introduce yourself. Lack of communication works great in the favor of criminals. People need to be aware of where and how these burglaries are happening so they can protect themselves, and in turn protect you also.

Any information you may have concerning suspicious individuals or concerns, please call your local Law
Enforcement agency with information.

May you all have a Happy and Safe Fall and Winter. Good Riding to All.

Ann Stithem
Specialist – Pawn Detail
Scottsdale Police Department

Thanks again, Tracy, for making this public service available. Law Enforcement throughout the State really appreciates these articles running in the Bridle and Bit.

Sincerely,

SCOTTSDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT


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