Over the past two months the Cranbrook and Kimberley RCMP detachments have noted a sharp increase in vehicle related thefts. This includes both thefts of and from vehicles.

In July there were 14 vehicles stolen, in August there were 13 vehicles stolen and six attempted thefts. Thefts from vehicles in July were 42, August 40.  Although the majority of these incidents took place in Cranbrook, both communities need to be vigilant.

A large number of these incidents, particularly thefts from vehicles, are crimes of opportunity and police strongly suggest you keep the vehicle locked. Remove any valuables.

Considerable damage is caused when the vehicle is stolen or there are attempts to steal it.  Police suggest an anti-theft device, alarms although a deterrent are not always taken seriously.

Hondas are listed in the top 10 stolen cars in Canada; although all vehicles are potential targets the thefts reported here follow a similar trend.

Some tips taken from the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

It’s important to remember that a professional thief can steal your car in about 30 seconds. But there are a few simple precautions that you can take to help make the thief’s target a little harder to reach:

Never leave your vehicle running unattended;

Park in well-lit areas;

Always roll up your car windows, lock the doors, pocket and protect your keys;

Never leave valuables or packages in full view. Put them in the trunk;

Park your car in the garage at night.

And, people just leave their keys in the ignition, while going in for a coffee and donut or warming up their car in the morning. Approximately 20% of all stolen cars have keys in them.

Cpl. Chris Newel,

Kimberley RCMP

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