Saskatchewan seeing a spike in vehicle thefts: report

Saskatchewan saw a spike in vehicle thefts last year, and according to a recent report, it’s one of the highest increases in the country.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says while vehicle thefts were down overall, Saskatchewan saw one of the highest increases at 15 per cent. The Yukon had the biggest increase at 22 per cent, followed by Nunavut with an 18 per cent increase.

In Regina, vehicle thefts rose by 17 per cent and in Saskatoon that number was 16 per cent. The IBC report also stated that in Canada, a vehicle was stolen every seven minutes.

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“It takes less than a minute to steal a vehicle,” SGI communication consultant Jennifer Rathwell said. “So we know it can happen very, very quickly and close to 50 per cent of vehicles of stolen had the keys inside them.”

According to IBC, the 2015 Lexus GX460 SUV was the most commonly stolen vehicle in 2017. A series of Ford F-Series trucks were in the remaining top ten most stolen vehicles in 2017.

“The Fords and the Rams seem to be the popular trucks,” Regina Police Service media development officer Les Parker said.

Regina police have responded to 34 vehicle thefts in this week alone, and Parker says the majority of those were cases where keys were left in the vehicles or vehicles were left running, unlocked and unattended.

Police say drivers leaving their vehicles running and unattended to warm up is a common issue during cold Saskatchewan winters.

“The convenience factor of having the car warm and ready for you is just too enticing for most people,” Parker said. “But unfortunately a lot of people come out and find their car missing, and then the convenience is immediately gone”.

Both Regina police and SGI are reminding drivers to take steps that can help prevent car thefts including keeping your car locked at all times, parking in well-lit areas at night, keeping windows closed, investing in an anti-theft device and avoid leaving valuables in the vehicle.

Parker also noted that drivers shouldn’t leave garage door openers in their vehicle, as that can give a thief easy access to your home.