Thanks to a little investigative legwork, the Kimberley RCMP were able to smoke out a suspect who had stolen some ribs from the Pedal and Tap earlier last week.
The ribs, which were being prepared in a smoker outside the back of the restaurant, were missing after a prep cook went to check on them.
According to a Facebook post from Pedal and Tap, the theft was captured on surveillance video, as an unidentified man helped himself to the ribs and some nearby bottles and cans.
"We were gonna let it go because we thought he was probably hungry, but our concerns around staff safety were enough to get the RCMP involved," read the Facebook post from the restaurant. "They were very responsive and told us they would spend the next little while combing back alleys searching for the suspect."
Cpl. Chris Newel with the Kimberley RCMP, said an officer was dispatched to the restaurant to look into the theft.
"The officer went up there and they weren't too, too concerned…I don't know how much we're talking with the ribs—with the price of beef these days, I'd be livid," he said.
A few days later, on Saturday, Newel himself was driving downtown and spotted an individual who matched the description and called the detachment office to send up a uniformed officer.
"I scooted over, got out of my truck and chatted him up, but he didn't know who I was, at first," said Newel.
The man was arrested behind Lordco in the Kimberley Platzl.
"It's the beauty of small town policing. I live in the community, I'm around the community and I'm familiar with the files and I spotted the guy," said Newel.
"Sometimes we're looking for specific vehicles or somebody who's wanted or something like that. When you're in a small town and involved in the community, you can pick those sort of things up."