Snowplows stolen from Chestnuthill public works

State police are looking for thieves who were caught on camera stealing a pair of snow plows belonging to the Chestnuthill Township road department.

The theft occurred on Dec. 8 at 1:30 a.m. The thieves cut the lock on a gate outside the maintenance building, located on Route 715 and stole two 8-foot Western snow plows valued at $5,000 each.

They were driving a newer model white Dodge Ram and a newer model white Ford pickup. They took steps to hide their faces and drove with the tailgates on their trucks open so the township’s security cameras couldn’t record their license plates.

The trucks were equipped to pick up and operate the plows, according to township manager David Albright.

“They knew what they were trying to steal. They knew everything they needed, They worked the plows and moved the wings,” he said.

No other items were taken during the theft. The thieves left a third plow untouched.

The plows were insured. They are meant for pickup trucks and the township uses them primarily for cul-de-sacs and parks. For main roads, they uses larger trucks that require a commercially licensed driver.

Those drivers had to put in a few additional hours to cover for the trucks for the three snowfalls that occurred over about a week after the theft.

“I’m sure there were some extra hours put in, the guys in the bigger trucks had to do those projects,” Albright said.

The white Dodge Ram matches the description a vehicle used in the theft of a Western snow plow from a car dealership in Wind Gap that occurred on Dec. 20, 2016. The dealership offered a $500 reward, but no arrests have been made.

Slate Belt Regional Police Chief David Mettin said they heard of the theft in Chestnuthill and noted the similarities, but couldn’t confirm that it was the same vehicle.