With theft of property from motor vehicles on an upward trend, RCMP are sharing some methods to aid with preventing belongings inside of your automobile from being stolen.
General Duty and Auxiliary officers conducted proactive patrols through the parking lots of shopping malls in Chilliwack and Sardis during January, making observations of property left in plain view inside of vehicles parked in the lots. In instances where police could see property through the vehicle window a notice was issued as a reminder to the owner to store their items out of sight in their parked auto. Of the 844 vehicles checked police issued 54 notices.
Items the officers noted included:
• Global positioning systems.
• Satellite radios.
• Keys in consoles.
• cell phones, iPods, or other electronic devices.
• Purses left between the front seats.
• A flat screen television on the floor behind the front seat.
• Loose change, cheque book.
• A dash cam.
“Police used this opportunity to educate residents of the community in the importance of locking your vehicle and keeping possessions out of view,” said Cst. Alain Castonguay of the Chilliwack RCMP.
Diligence is also required at home when parking your vehicle for the night. Unlocked doors are reported in nearly fifty percent of theft from vehicle complaints received by police. Items reported stolen include:
• Wallets.
• Work tools.
• Credit cards and identification.
• Garage door openers.
• Keys and fobs.
• Sunglasses.
• Electronic devices.
“This is a crime of opportunity that can be significantly reduced by the police and the public working together to eliminate these opportunities often presented to criminals,” said Cpl. Mike Rail.
Some prevention tips to protect your property from theft include;
• Always lock the doors when leaving your vehicle.
• Ensure valuables are out of sight if left in your vehicle during the day.
• Do not leave valuables in your vehicle overnight.
• Do not leave loose change inside of your vehicle.
• An alarm is an effective deterrent.
For more helpful tips on how to protect your property from theft visit the RCMP website, or visit ICBC.
As always RCMP remind people who witnesses anything they believe to be suspicious in nature to contact the Chilliwack RCMP at 604-792-4611 or, should they wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).