Elk Valley RCMP is finishing an investigation into a recent spate of stolen vehicles from the Fernie area.

At the end of August, Fernie had six vehicles stolen from the community and two others were recovered that were stolen from outside the Elk Valley.

The local RCMP investigation, which was assisted by Crime Analysts, Forensic Identification Services and other police agencies, has resulted in three males being identified with charges pending for offences of theft over $5,000, possession of stolen property and break and enter.

Police note that the evidence suggests the three suspects did not know each other and were not working together.

“A question we should be asking ourselves as a community is why are we on the radar of car thieves? Is it opportunity, chance, a fluke? And what can we do to prevent this in the future?” asked Cpl. R. Wright of Elk Valley RCMP, suggesting residents adopt “simple strategies like locking car doors, not leaving keys in the vehicles or in unlocked entry ways of your home. Put up some motion lights or clean out the garage and use it for the family car. All these things are fairly simple and have been proven to reduce crime,” he said.

All three suspects (a 27-year-old male from Golden, a 25-year-old male from Cranbrook and a 21-year-old male from Calgary) currently have charges pending or have been charged in B.C. and Alberta.

The 21-year-old from Calgary remains in custody.

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