The North Bay Police Service has seen a large number of vehicle thefts over the past two months.
Deputy Police Chief Scott Tod says the problem is most of those break-ins involve unlocked, easily accessible vehicles.
“The vast majority of those vehicles have been left unlocked and in unlit areas,” stated Tod.
“Actually if a lot of people just locked their cars at night and locked their doors at night there would be a lot less thefts going on in the city.”
Tod says car thefts can be tough to investigate but officers are nabbing some of the car thieves.
“We have had some great work done by our frontline officers and our detectives on the vehicle thefts where the vehicles have been stolen in town and some great work by the front line in regards to theft from vehicles where they’ve made a few arrests in regards to some of the serial people that are breaking into cars.”
Tod admits the thefts may have a connection to the local drug trade.
“So it has been a recent crime that we have seen, a crime trend, slightly relating somehow to addictions in the community and people looking for stealing things from motor vehicles that they can sell or trade for drugs in the community,” he said.
Police and insurance organizations suggest drivers conceal any valuables like laptops or wallets in less visible areas as well to avoid the temptation by thieves to get at your property.
