It takes only a few moments to find an easy mark.
When Const. Chris Wilcox steps out of his patrol vehicle and scans the parking lot of a local townhouse complex, he finds a minivan with its door unlocked and valuables in plain view.
While relatively minor in nature, theft from vehicles is the most common crime in St. Albert and has been for years.
The city has received reports of 693 such thefts to date, well above the 492 from 2008.
The RCMP get several calls every day as disappointed owners awake to find their change, sunglasses, iPods, stereos or GPS equipment stolen from the car.
Wilcox said rarely there are any witnesses to the actual crime and the calls usually come in when residents get into their vehicles the next morning.
“It occurs overnight and people don’t notice and they get into their vehicle in the morning and their glove box is strewn about,” said Wilcox.
Moving along to Grandin mall, Wilcox finds several more vehicles with either their doors unlocked or valuables in plain view.
The RCMP statistics show the trend is moving in the right direction with more people locking their doors, but hundreds of the thefts have been from unlocked vehicles.
Wilcox said some residents simply don’t understand the risks they are exposing themselves to.
“It is just the lack of awareness that if it is in your vehicle and it is in sight, it is a target.”
He said the goods are often sold for drugs or to feed other addictions and the thieves are looking for easily disposable goods.
“It is all tangible goods that you can get rid of quickly or sell.”
GPS devices, iPods, sunglasses, wallets and change are all commonplace thefts. Wilcox said he understands people find it inconvenient to take these things out of their car every night, but it is better than the alternative.
“It may not be ideal or inconvenient, but it is not going to be that convenient if you have to replace a GPS.”
Driving up to Servus Credit Union Place, the problem continues with more unlocked vehicles and a lot more items in plain view. A thief wandering through this parking lot would see purses, iPods and other electronics.
Wilcox said credit cards concern him because the thief might have hours to use one before anything is noticed.
“If you leave it in your vehicle overnight it could be hours before you know it is gone and more time to call the appropriate people to cancel those cards.”
Wrapping up the evening, Wilcox says the important thing to keep in mind is that locking your door and hiding your valuables makes it more difficult for thieves. With so many owners not protecting their vehicles, sometimes that is all you need.
“They are going to grab the locked car door and move onto the next one,” he said. “Your best bet is always going to be to remove anything valuable and lock your doors.”
