Calgary man says recovered stolen truck was mistakenly released to wrong person

A Calgary man is demanding answers after learning that his stolen truck, missing for more than four years, was recovered by police, only to be released to someone else before he was ever notified.

Joseph Bradette says his 2012 red Dodge Ram was stolen from outside his northeast Calgary home in June 2022.

For years, he heard nothing about the vehicle’s whereabouts. Then, earlier this month, he says he spotted what looked like his truck on the road and called Calgary police to check.

On Jan. 12, Bradette contacted the non‑emergency line to ask whether the vehicle he saw matched his stolen truck. That’s when he says he learned the truck had already been found.

“They told me that the vehicle was actually, indeed, in the impound lot, recovered on Dec. 29, 2025,” Bradette said. “On Jan. 13, I went to the impound lot. They told me that it was already picked up by somebody on Jan. 4.”

A Calgary Police Service (CPS) spokesperson confirmed to CityNews that the truck was reported stolen in 2022 and recovered late last year. The spokesperson referred questions about the release process to the City of Calgary, which oversees municipal impound lots.

In a written statement, the City said proper procedures were followed.

“The vehicle was cleared for release by Calgary Police Services,” the statement read.

The City added that any concerns about the release should be directed back to CPS.

Bradette, however, says the situation makes no sense. He argues that a recovered stolen vehicle should remain flagged in the system until the rightful owner is contacted.

“When you go to the registry to pick up that vehicle or to register that vehicle, they’ll have a big red line across it that says ‘stolen vehicle,’” he said. “The police, essentially, their mandate is that once they recover a vehicle, they’re to remove the flagging and contact anybody regarding this and inform them that it’s been removed. I never heard anything about it.”

Bradette says two CPS officers visited his home on Jan. 15 to follow up on his complaint, but he hasn’t heard anything since.

After more than four years of waiting, he says he’s exhausted by the back‑and‑forth and simply wants his truck returned.