Thefts From Vehicles Skyrocket in Burlington

Lock your doors and remove valuables from plain view — thefts from vehicles in Burlington are up 187 per cent over last year, say Halton police.

Lock your doors and remove valuables from plain view — thefts from vehicles in Burlington are up 187 per cent over last year, say Halton police.

“Almost every community in Burlington has been targeted by thieves,” reads a news release issued on Tuesday.

“These are crimes of opportunity and are preventable.”

Investigators are seeing a “significant increase” in reported thefts from motor vehicles since the beginning of the year.

As of June 18, 2017, there have been 341 reports of vehicles being entered and items being stolen — there were 119 reported occurrences during the same timeframe last year.

Vehicles were left unlocked in 219 of these occurrences, say police, while in 59 cases a window was smashed.

In 24 occurrences vehicles were entered by forcing the doorframe and/or lock punch.

In addition, there were 29 reported occurrences of licence plates being stolen from vehicles and 10 ‘other’ occurrences which include theft of vehicle batteries, tires or rims, and manufacturer emblems.

Police are reminding the public to:

• Ensure your unattended vehicle(s) are kept locked/secure
• Never leave personal identification or valuables in your vehicle
• Park in a well-lit and attended areas whenever possible
• Never leave spare keys in your vehicle
• If you have to leave valuables in your vehicle, lock them in your trunk. Don’t tempt thieves by leaving packages or purses in plain view or on the seat.
• Remove GPS navigation and cell phone devices & power cords from view when not in your vehicle
• Consider installing CCTV / Surveillance cameras which can capture the crime and aid in suspect identification
• Help police catch those responsible by keeping an eye out in your communities and immediately reporting any suspicious activity

Anyone with information about about these crimes (or anyone selling stolen property from these crimes) are asked to contact the Burlington criminal investigations bureau at 905-825 4747 ext. 2316 or CrimeStoppers 1-800-222-8477.

Map courtesy of Halton Regional Police