Nanaimo RCMP say city has seen a spike in car thefts

WATCH ABOVE: Thieves are targeting older vehicles and anything inside. John Daly reports.

VANCOUVER – Nanaimo police are warning residents after seeing a recent spike in car thefts.

In the past month there have been 39 reported cars stolen, compared to just one during the same time last year.

Police say thieves are targeting older model Honda Civics and Accords.

There has also been a dramatic jump in break-ins, with almost three times as many as last year.

Police are asking drivers to be vigilant about keeping their cars safe and protected from thieves.

“Compared to the same period last year we had one,” said Cst. Garry O’Brien with the Nanaimo RCMP. “In the last few days we’ve had 39. So we do have spikes from time to time. It’s not uncommon to have this happen.”

“Unfortunately about 20 per cent of the cars that are broken into, the keys are actually in them. And another 40 per cent, the cars are unlocked. We’ve narrowed it down to about two groups of people, we’re very confident that they’re involved in the majority of these thefts, we’re preparing charges, we’re recommending theft from auto and theft of motor vehicles, we’re forwarding those charges to Crown. We hope to have a warrant in place very soon.”