The Huron County OPP is asking the public to help them "Put the Brakes" on vehicle thefts.
This after a release from the police stating that vehicle thefts in the county are up 18 percent over last year. So far in 2022, Huron County OPP has investigated 66 stolen vehicle occurrences. At this time last year they had investigated 56. The release states that over half of the incidents involved unlocked vehicles and situations where the key was left in the vehicle or was easy to find near the vehicle. Huron County OPP is reminding the public that "theft is largely a crime of opportunity and owners need to remove this opportunity."
The release shares that the two best things to do to prevent a vehicle theft are always lock your vehicle and always pocket your keys.
"If you are in the habit of leaving your vehicle unlocked and the keys in the ignition you really are taking your chances. If you're guilty of this, help us help you by always staying vigilant and taking the necessary action to secure your vehicle and keys. For crime prevention to be effective we need as many people as possible doing their part," says Huron County OPP Detachment Commander, Inspector Jason Younan.
A closer examination of the YTD stolen vehicle occurrences revealed the additional highlights:
-Most common vehicle type stolen - pickup truck (one third)
-53% of the vehicles were stolen from a town or built-up area versus 47% from rural areas.
-Over 60% of vehicles were stolen after dark between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
-58% (38) of the stolen vehicles have since been recovered, four were involved in crashes and another three were destroyed by fire.
Another concern for Huron OPP is once a criminal gets access to a stolen vehicle it often leads to further criminal offences such as break and enters, thefts, drug trafficking, human trafficking and dangerous driving events on our roadways.
Huron OPP and the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) provide the following tips for vehicle owners to take to help protect themselves from becoming a victim of auto theft.
-Do not leave your keys in your vehicle or unprotected at the front entrance of your home, barn or garage. Thieves can use wireless transmitters to intercept the signal, giving them access to the vehicle. Consider storing fobs in a protective box or bag that blocks the signal.
-Do not leave your vehicle running when unattended.
-Lock your vehicle and close all windows when parked.
-Park in a well-lit area or in a locked garage.
-Consider using a deterrent like a steering wheel or brake lock.
-Treat your keys like cash - Don't leave keys in places where they are easy to steal such as a gym locker, on your desk at work, in an open purse or unattended in a shopping cart.
-Don't leave personal information, like insurance or ownership documents in the glove box when parked.
-Never leave anything in your vehicle in plain view such as loose change, cell phones, cameras, clothing, gifts, alcohol, cigarettes, gifts, medication, firearms, or any other valuables.
-Install an immobilizing device which prevents thieves from bypassing the ignition and hot-wiring a vehicle.
-Install a tracking device that emits a signal to police or a monitoring station if a vehicle is stolen.
