Vancouver police are reminding the public to take appropriate safety precautions after the department recorded a nearly 40 per cent increase in vehicle break-ins so far this year.
“Theft of items from vehicles is a preventable crime,” media relations officer Sgt. Jason Robillard said in a press release. “You can take simple steps to help prevent thieves from breaking into your vehicle. One of the easiest things to do is avoid leaving anything visible in your car.”
Between January and March, the department saw a 39.4 per cent increase reports of theft from vehicles over 2017.
“You may think that an item is not valuable, like a car charger or jacket, but it might be enough to tempt a thief,” Robillard said. “The effort it takes to remove all visible items in your car is minimal, when compared to the cost and hassle of replacing a broken car window.”
Last December, police arrested more than 25 suspects and recommended more than 80 charges during a month-long theft-from-auto targeted project in downtown Vancouver in the lead up to the Christmas holidays.
