A sizeable jump in theft from motor vehicle reports in June and July of this year has the Grande Prairie RCMP reminding residents to help protect themselves and their property from thieves.
Constable Lindsay McNab says while there’s nothing specific the increase can be attributed to, from 39 reports in 2021 to 111 in June and July 2022 alone, she believes the first full restriction-free summer since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic could simply create more opportunity for the type of crime.
“There are just more people out and about doing a lot more… and with that, especially [in regards to theft from motor vehicles, we want to remind people not to leave things in their vehicle in plain view, especially things of value, like wallets, keys or money,” she says.
“Make sure your doors are locked when you’re not in your vehicle, to help prevent yourself from being a victim or making your vehicle more a target for people looking in windows.”
McNab says they’re asking the public to also report anything suspicious to police, as it will allow officers to best know locations or times they can ramp up patrols.
“If you see something suspicious going on, let us know… if we know where we should be patrolling, or where suspicious activity is going on, we can allocate our resources to where they’re needed most effectively,” she says.
“If something doesn’t seem right in your neighbourhood or business, we can definitely send officers to look into that, or just know where to patrol during the evening hours when we know where we should be.”