Wood Buffalo was listed in the top 10 detachments for motor vehicle thefts in 2017.
The region came in at number seven with 333 thefts, including ATVs and other off-road vehicles.
According to Wood Buffalo RCMP, if off-road vehicles are excluded there were 191 thefts confirmed.
The report released by Alberta RCMP, shows that at least half of the 12,362 vehicles stolen last year had the keys inside.
Supt. Peter Tewfik, Officer in Charge of Crime Reduction Strategies, Alberta RCMP said that preventing vehicle theft is key to the RCMP Crime Reduction Strategy.
“Stolen vehicles are used to commit more property crime, to transport illicit goods and often become hazards on the road.”
So far this year it’s reporting 6,667 thefts of vehicles.
According to Wood Buffalo RCMP, 165 vehicles have been reported stolen as of Oct. 19, excluding off-road vehicles.
Red Deer came in at number one, more than tripling Wood Buffalo with 1562 thefts in last year.
Alberta RCMP has provided simple ways to prevent your vehicle from being stolen:
- Keep your vehicle locked at all times.
- Always close windows and lock all doors.
- Never leave your vehicle running while unattended.
- Don’t keep your garage door opener in your car. This could give thieves easy access to your house and valuables.
- Don’t keep vehicle registrations and other IDs in the vehicle. They are used to steal your identity.
- Park in well-lit areas with pedestrian traffic.
- Hide valuables like loose change and electronic devices from view.
- Keep shopping bags out of sight.
You can keep track of where vehicles are being stolen and other crime in your area with the RCMP crime map.
