When Darren Cooper and his family were returning from an early Christmas vacation on Dec. 21, the last surprise they expected was finding that their car had been stolen.
“You start wandering around and wondering what it was you forgot while you were on vacation,” explained Cooper. “All of us had pretty particular memories of where we had parked, but it became apparent that the car was not where it should be.”
They had parked their 2022 Toyota Highlander in the long-term domestic terminal parkade P1, thinking it was more secure than one of the other lots located at the airport. Unfortunately for the Coopers, Toyota Highlanders were the number one most stolen vehicle across Canada in 2023 according to Equite Association.
Edmonton saw a total of 4,533 vehicles stolen in 2024; Calgary slightly less with 4,015. The data in Calgary suggests the number of car thefts has been declining in recent years, but the month of January is historically a busy month for car thieves.
Patrick Lambert with Alberta RCMP says while the trend of declining car thefts is positive, owners still need to be vigilant.
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“Auto theft is a crime of opportunity,” Lambert said. “If we leave those valuables or leave those vehicles running with the keys in the ignition, it’s just the path of least resistance.”
Now forced to buy a new vehicle, Cooper says he’s paying more attention to vehicle security.
“I have to say, once bitten twice shy. I was pretty apprehensive about a Toyota brand vehicle now that I’ve had one stolen,” said Cooper. “It was one of the first questions that we asked each of the dealers we met with.”
Another safety measure Cooper is considering is a geo-locating device, like an Apple Air tag tucked somewhere would-be thieves won’t check. While location devices are helpful, RCMP say vehicle owners should never try to locate their vehicle on their own, and instead leave it to law enforcement.
“Second to none is public safety,” Lambert said. ” We want to ensure that the owner-operators of those vehicles are making the appropriate reports and leaving law enforcement to the law enforcement officials.”
In an emailed statement, the Calgary Airport Authority told Global News the following:
“…ensuring the safety and security of our guests and their belongings is always our top priority. Criminal activities, such as vehicle theft, must be reported to Calgary Police Services directly. We will provide both Calgary Police and RCMP with our full cooperation should they reach out to us regarding this matter.”
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