Every three minutes, a car in Canada is stolen. It is a crime that is not only financially costly, but can be extremely dangerous.
Toronto Police are mourning the loss of Sgt. Ryan Russell, who died of severe head injuries on Wednesday after he was struck while attempting to stop a stolen snow plow.
“That happens a lot, it’s not an isolated incident,” said RCMP Cst. Darryl Morgan, an expert in auto theft. “In fact, in Saskatchewan yesterday, or the other day, there was a member drug down the road by a stolen car, so it’s more common than you would think, and everybody is at risk.”
Last year, Saskatchewan averaged more than six stolen vehicles each day; many of them were never recovered, costing SGI $10.6 million.
“Those vehicles are being re-VINed,” added Cst. Morgan. “The vehicle ID number is being taken off the dash and replaced by something, maybe U.S. salvaged or salvaged from a local auction.”
In Canada, Cadillac Escalades and small imports like the Honda Civic are the most commonly stolen vehicles. In Saskatchewan, trucks are what thieves are after, and older models are the biggest target.
“You have a lot of older model vehicles still on the road,” said Morgan. “As long as those older vehicles are out there driving around, the risk is higher because they don’t have new immobilizers to prevent theft.”
To prevent your vehicle from being stolen, there are a few simple steps you can take; the most obvious is don’t leave your vehicle running unattended.
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