UPDATE: Kelowna RCMP are correcting their previous release, saying the string of thefts took place between August 1 to August 25, not January to August.
KELOWNA – A spike in the number of auto thefts in the Central Okanagan has RCMP warning motorists not to leave their car keys inside their cars.
Kelowna RCMP say that so far this year 60 vehicles have been taken. It’s a significant increase over the 40 vehicles that where nabbed between January and August of last year and more than double the number of vehicles that were stolen during that same time period in 2013. Between January and August of 2013 23 vehicles were stolen.
READ MORE: Spike belt deployed to catch Kelowna car thief
Looking at the stats, police also found that in a third of the cases this year the vehicle’s keys were left inside the car. That was the case in 20 of the 60 thefts so far this year.
The numbers have police urging the public to take their keys out of their cars when they leave them unattended.
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