Running vehicles a gift for car thieves: Winnipeg police, MPI

The cold weather can be a gift for car thieves, as many drivers are tempted to leave their vehicles unattended while they’re warming up.

Winnipeg police and Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) are reminding local drivers that the majority of car thefts in Winnipeg and throughout the province are preventable.

According to MPI statistics, almost 90 per cent of all vehicles reported stolen in Manitoba involved the use of keys.

“The data clearly shows that the majority of auto thefts could be prevented if owners protected their keys,” said MPI’s Satvir Jatana.

“Auto theft is a crime of opportunity. Leaving the keys in the ignition is no longer an acceptable practice.

“Take away the opportunity and we can all do our part in reducing crime.”

Winnipeg police Const. Rob Carver told 680 CJOB it’s common, especially during a cold snap, for people to leave their cars on while running in and out of stores on errands.

“If it needs a key to start it, and you’re going to walk away, well, you’ve just provided a great opportunity for a thief,” he said.

Although theft rates for unattended vehicles are down, Carver said that may be related to advances in technology.

“Things are changing a little,” he said. “You’ve got a lot more cars with keyless starts, with fobs… a lot of cars can be left running where somebody gets in the car, the fob’s not there — it’s running but they can’t drive it.

“People need to really be aware of their own risks, their own safety risks.”

Between 2016 and 2019, 40 per cent of Manitoba car thefts had the keys in the vehicle — either in the ignition or in the passenger compartment.

A further 21 per cent of thefts were attributable to keys stolen from a home, jacket, purse or elsewhere, and 12 per cent more were a result of lost or missing keys.

1:03 It’s not the what, it’s how: MPI warns of trend in car theft