Cold weather wreaks havoc on Calgary vehicles

The plunging thermometer is boosting the number of responses for the Calgary Police Service’s Operation Cold Start.

Police said 236 vehicles were found running, but unlocked – with keys inside – between 6 and 8 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Six of those vehicles were stolen as they warmed up. One truck was stolen with $6,000 worth of work tools inside.

Calgary police have some suggestions to prevent vehicles from being targeted by thieves.

“We have seen it in the past where people will just smash the window and take the car with the keys in it.”

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Police expect no relief in the numbers as the cold snap is expected to continue until next week.

WATCH: Calgary deep freeze could be downright dangerous 

Booster Squad, which provides on-call battery boosting services, said it is swamped as the cold weather wreaks havoc on vehicles.

Alberta Motor Association said there’s was over a two hour wait to respond to calls for most of Tuesday. You will have to wait 16 hours to get a battery replaced on location by the Alberta Motor Association.

AMA said it does not recommend drivers boost their own batteries especially on newer vehicles.

“They are basically computers on wheels and if you have an improper boost, you can send a surge to the charging system and damage valuable components in your vehicle,” Ron Wilson with AMA said. “You could be looking at a hefty bill for vehicle repair… leave it to the professionals.”