Youth wreaking havoc on north Edmonton vehicle owners: police

EDMONTON – Edmonton police are blaming an extreme increase in vehicle thefts in northeast Edmonton on two young offenders.

The northeast division has experienced 126 per cent more reported vehicle thefts in Feb. 2015 than Feb. 2014. So far, March has experienced a 40 per cent jump of vehicle theft complaints compared to March 2014.

Since Feb. 1, two youth have been arrested a combined 17 times, according to police.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“The statistics are clear. When the same two individuals are repeatedly arrested for the same type of alleged crime, it has a significant impact on EPS resources,” says Supt. Terry Rocchio.

Officers are working with the Edmonton Police Service Youth Unit in an attempt to refer the two individuals to social services in hopes of steering them away from crime, Rocchio adds.

Meanwhile, police are providing tips on avoiding being a victim of a vehicle theft:

• Do not leave your vehicle running
• Do not leave a spare key in the vehicle
• Lock up your vehicle
• Use a steering wheel locking device
• Do not leave items in your vehicle that thieves will be attracted to

Releasing the identities of the two accused young offenders is prohibited under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.