As temperatures drop, Alberta RCMP are firing up a new operation aimed at stopping the theft of idling vehicles during the winter months.
Operation Cold Start has Alberta Mounties partnering up with other police agencies in the province, including the Calgary and Lethbridge police services to educate Albertans about the dangers of leaving a vehicle running and unattended.
“We have members within the community resource unit going out into the public looking for vehicles that are idling or running and have an opportunity to engage with the public and owners of vehicles and create awareness,” said Cst. Donald Realini, of the Lethbridge Police Force.
“If we find a vehicle, we have a conversation just alerting them to the hazards of having your vehicle running and left unattended. ”
The initiative will run from Monday to Friday, focusing on preventing crimes of opportunity.
Police will check on idling vehicles left unattended to ensure they have been properly secured.
The RCMP said that while warming up their vehicle before a commute might be convenient for motorists, it’s also convenient for thieves — what police call “a crime of opportunity.”
Police say the theft of idling vehicles not only increases the cost of insurance for all drivers but the stolen vehicles are often used to commit further crimes — and January is the month with the highest number of vehicle thefts.
With files from Jordan Prentice.