Red Deer RCMP find an idling vehicle unlocked during a proactive patrol on Friday morning aimed at raising awareness around preventable vehicle thefts. (rdnewsNOW / Sheldon Spackman)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Stolen vehicles

Red Deer RCMP investigating dozens of vehicle thefts to start New Year

Jan 18, 2020 | 10:40 AM

Red Deer, AB – It’s a crime of opportunity that thieves in Red Deer are taking advantage of.

RCMP are reminding local drivers about the dangers of leaving your vehicle unlocked and idling unattended.

With extreme cold temperatures across Alberta once again Friday morning, Mounties made proactive patrols throughout the city to communicate with residents who had idling vehicles. The hope is to promote public awareness about the issue.

From Jan. 1 through Jan. 13, Red Deer City Detachment received 52 stolen vehicle complaints, with 16 of those vehicles either running and/or with the keys inside.

In fact, police confirmed another vehicle had already stolen by 7:00 a.m. Friday.

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Across the province, RCMP are responding to significant numbers of thefts involving idling vehicles.

In Red Deer alone, the numbers for 2020 already show that 31 per cent of vehicles stolen were either left running with unlocked doors, or had the keys inside. Mounties say these vehicles include all types, including cars, trucks and mini-vans.

For a crime to occur, police say there must be a person with the desire and ability to commit the crime, a person or property that is the target of the crime, and the opportunity to commit the crime.

As a result, Red Deer RCMP is focusing on getting community members to remove the opportunity for culprits to commit the crime of stealing vehicles, saying leaving a vehicle running unattended creates a situation that criminals find difficult to resist.

“The stolen vehicles in our community pose a significant risk to public safety in a variety of ways” says Inspector Holly Glassford of Red Deer RCMP. “Our goal is not to shame anyone, rather to just ask everyone to be smart, and do their part.”