April is Auto Crime Enforcement Month, and the RCMP are reminding everyone to be vigilant and take steps to help lock out auto crime, especially with theft from vehicles trending higher throughout the province.
In the last two weeks, theft from motor vehicle reports have jumped 280 per cent in Prince George. While the RCMP has tools to help reduce thefts from, and of, vehicles — such as a Bait Car program — there is a lot that vehicle owners can do to help prevent auto theft.
This year’s Auto Crime Enforcement Month theme is RETHINK, and the goal of the theme is to empower vehicle owners with the knowledge to better protect themselves from auto crime. Here’s how the acronym can help people RETHINK about how they leave their vehicle:
R: Remove valuables
E: Eliminate opportunities for thieves
T: Track your car with GPS technology
H: Hide your key signal
I: Invest in anti-theft devices
N: Never idle unattended
K: Keep track of your keys
Police departments and insurers across North America agree: May through August is the top season when it comes to car theft and break-ins. Warmer weather and summer holidays mean more people on the road, creating more opportunities for thieves.
Police are reminding vehicle owners to not keep valuables in their vehicles, even if they’re out of sight: if a thief gets inside your car, nowhere is safe. Items such as tools, wallets, and sunglasses are the most common items stolen; loose change, or cords to charge various devices, are also targets. And it should go without saying that leaving a set of keys in your car is a recipe for disaster.
Making sure to lock your vehicle — even if you are just leaving it for a few minutes — is critical. Many thefts of, or from, vehicles are crimes of opportunity, making unlocked vehicles an easy target. If a vehicle is locked, thieves are much more likely just to move on to easier pickings. And when the hot weather arrives, don’t leave your vehicle idling to keep the air conditioning on, even if you lock the doors behind you.
For more information on how you can best protect your vehicle from theft (both of the vehicle and of its contents) visit http://www.baitcar.com/prevention.
