Since Dec. 1, at least 16 vehicles have been reported stolen in Red Deer and eight of those were left idling, unlocked and unattended.
Mounties said, in some cases, the owners were so close, they saw their vehicles being driven away by thieves.
“Especially on cold weather mornings, thieves are cruising residential neighbourhoods and the parking lots of high-traffic businesses, looking for vehicles that have been left running,” Cpl. Karyn Kay said.
“If you leave your vehicle unlocked and running, your chances of victimization are high. It takes mere seconds for an opportunistic thief to climb in and drive away.”
RCMP are urging drivers to use a spare key to lock their vehicle if they decide to leave it running unattended.
They also suggested options like remote car starters, steering wheel club locks and alarm system stickers to make their vehicles less attractive to thieves.
READ MORE: Charges laid after car stolen with baby inside in west Edmonton
Last January, a car that was left running with a baby inside was stolen in west Edmonton.
After about 15 minutes, a suspect was caught and the one-year-old girl found unharmed.
READ MORE: Charges laid in theft of vehicle with baby in back seat
In December 2014, a 21-year-old man was charged after a vehicle was stolen in Calgary with a 10-month-old baby boy in the back seat.