Edmonton Police have issued a security reminder to local businesses after the rash of recent ATM thefts.
The automated teller machines can be found in most hotels, bars and shopping centres and are often located near doors and entrances, making them an easy target for thieves.
In the past two weeks, police have been called to investigate several thefts and attempted thefts of both the machines and/or the money inside.
On March 7, two suspects were attempting to steal an ATM from The Horizon student residence near 105 Avenue and 111 Street, but were confronted and fled on foot.
Four days later on March 11, two men are alleged to have broken into a game room at the Ramada Edmonton South near 53 Avenue and Calgary Trail, and used a handcart to make off with the ATM.
Surveillance video shows the suspects loading the machine into a black, newer model Dodge Ram pick-up parked in an alley behind the hotel. Edmonton police said the truck was being driven by a woman with long, dark hair.
Watch below: Police issued a warning after a rash of recent ATM thefts. New security video shows how easily a cash machine can be stolen. Vinesh Pratap has the story.
The most recent incident happened on Wednesday when two men broke into an ATM at a hotel near 76 Avenue and 45 Street.
Police said in each incident, the men made off with undisclosed amounts of cash. Police said investigators have not determined if the same suspects are responsible for all of the thefts.
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Police are also investigating the theft of an ATM from a north Edmonton restaurant earlier this month. Just after 2 a.m. on March 8, a vehicle was used to smash into the front doors of Capital Pizza on 144 Avenue and 76 Street. The robbers then took away the ATM that was inside the building.
In one case late last year, police arrested an alleged thief in action when officers found a stolen backhoe carrying an ATM in north Edmonton. Police were called to a robbery at a CASHCO store, noticed heavy equipment tracks, and then spotted a backhoe driving away from the scene.
READ MORE: Arrest made after backhoe found carrying ATM in north Edmonton
A low-speed pursuit spanning roughly 10 blocks commenced. The driver eventually stopped and police found the ATM chained to the front bucket, according to police.
An employee said it was the third time an ATM has been stolen from that north Edmonton CASHCO location. A different CASHCO location was robbed in a similar manner the day before.
Back in September 2016, thieves also used heavy equipment to bust through a convenience store wall and make off with its ATM.
WATCH ABOVE: Someone used a piece of construction equipment to tear a gaping hole in the side a north Edmonton store in Sept. 2016, where an ATM was stolen.
Edmonton police suggested business managers and owners place their ATMs in high-traffic areas that are well lit and covered by surveillance cameras. Police also recommend the money machines be attached with bolts to the floor, when possible.
There has also been a rash of ATM thefts across rural Alberta.
READ MORE: Stolen tractor used in Alberta credit union break & enter
In one incident last month in Whitecourt, the front of a Shell gas station convenience store was obliterated when a pickup truck was rammed into it, in an attempt to steal an ATM.
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