You get to the mall, park your vehicle and whip out your cell phone to chat about the last few gifts you still have to get. All the shopping from your last stop is still laid out on the back seat. In your rush to get the stores, you forget to lock your door. Your moment of absent-mindedness is a thief’s perfect opportunity.
Tomorrow, Wed., Nov. 27, 2013 will mark the launch of the EPS Stop Thief campaign. The campaign aims to remind Edmontonians about the importance of locking your vehicle and hiding your valuables this holiday season.
“We want Edmontonians to have a safe and happy holiday season,” explains West Division’s Const. Tom Froma. “Often we provide the public with tips to avoid being victimized, but for the 20th anniversary of the Stop Thief campaign, we wanted to give the public our tips in a way that was lighthearted while still delivering an important message.”
In Nov. 2012, there were 330 occurrences of thefts from vehicles and in Dec. 2012, there were 249 occurrences. The most common way thieves broke in to the vehicles was simply to open an unlocked door.