It’s a huge public safety concern in Saskatoon, throughout the province even the country. Yet, time and time again law enforcement says people are leaving their keys in their vehicles and risking it all – including someone else’s life.
On Labour Day weekend alone, approximately three vehicles were stolen each day in the city.
“Sadly, there’s not a day that goes by that we don’t have a stolen auto in this city,” said Supy. Mitch Yuzdepski with the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS).
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What’s being found inside these stolen vehicles is just as alarming.
“We’re finding weapons in those vehicles whether it’s guns, whether it’s knives, drugs.”
Even more concerning is when these stolen vehicles are used as a weapon.
“Increasingly our members are finding that any time they come across a stolen vehicle that is occupied, the people who steal the vehicle don’t want to stop for police,” Yuzdepski said.
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By evading police, drivers behind the wheel of these vehicles pose a significant risk to the public that at times can turn deadly. On May 5, 2014, Cheyann Peeteetuce fled police in a stolen truck and seconds later slammed into a vehicle with three teens inside – only one survived.
WATCH BELOW: Dashcam footage from the Saskatoon police cruiser on May 5, 2014:
Between January and August of this year, SPS said 679 auto thefts have been reported to police, down from 792 over the same period last year.
Auto thefts reported Regina police during the same time frame is up 20 per cent from 2015. The average number of vehicles stolen at this point in the year is 649.
In 60 per cent of cases where a vehicle has been stolen in Saskatchewan – the keys were inside or the doors were unlocked.
“If it’s convenient for them, it’s convenient for the suspect.”
Police say the more they can get the message out to the public to help drive down auto theft, the safer our streets will be. What that carefully crafted message should be, is the big question which is why the service is now launching a new survey for the public to take.
“We’ll look at the data and hopefully develop further crime prevention programs and public awareness, once we understand the public’s perception of the issue of stolen autos and understand the problem even further it allows us to kinda take a look at what the next step is,” Yuzdepski said.