The Saskatchewan RCMP compiled data from 2021 and has found that there were 1,519 reported vehicle thefts and 29 per cent of the vehicle owners had left keys inside the vehicle.
The data was compiled by Saskatchewan RCMP files from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021. Data shows more than 100 vehicle theft reports a month. Of the vehicle thefts, 1,095 reports resulted in the vehicle being recovered minutes, hours, days or months later.
RCMP stated 368 of the recovered vehicles were damaged in some way, including being burned, stripped of parts or involved in a collision.
These incidents occur when some vehicles are left running with keys inside as people warm them up and leave them to enter their home or a store for a brief moment. Police are reminding vehicle owners to always take the keys with them when they leave the vehicle.
“Our Crime Analysts are able to sort through the data we receive when people report crimes such as these vehicle thefts and are able to track criminal activities and trends this way,” stated Sgt. Scott Hunter of the Saskatchewan RCMP crime prevention and crime reduction unit.
“This intelligence-based information tells us that some stolen vehicles are additionally used in the commission of other crimes including break and enters, dangerous driving and flight from police. So vehicle thefts sometimes end up being more than just vehicle thefts.”
The Saskatchewan RCMP encourages vehicle owners to remove all valuable items from their vehicle whenever possible, including tools, bank cards and personal identification – all of which can lead to additional criminal activity.
They also say to remove garage door openers from vehicles as they may allow someone access to your home.
Lastly, do not leave keys in the vehicle when you run out of fuel on the road or someone else might come by with a jerrycan of fuel and help themselves to your vehicle.