Mounties say a recent interview with a local prolific offender underscores the need for Chilliwack residents to lock up their vehicles.

Police say they linked a fingerprint from a vehicle that had been targeted by a thief to a local man who has been identified as a prolific offender.

During an interview with the RCMP's crime reduction unit, Mounties say the man admitted to supporting a $200 per day heroin habit by stealing loose change and electronic devices from unlocked vehicles.

"Sometimes drug dependant people will do whatever it takes to support their habit," said RCMP Cpl. Tammy Hollingsworth in a press release. "If you leave your vehicle unlocked with valuable items inside, it increases the chance that your vehicle will be targeted. What you may not consider valuable might be to a thief fueling an addiction."