Thunder Bay Police Service Media Release
The Thunder Bay Police Service has been seeing an increase in the number of property theft incidents including theft of vehicle, theft from vehicle and theft of property due to break and enter to homes, garages and sheds.
In the past month there have been over 70 reported thefts from vehicles, mostly occurring within the city limits. It is clear that rural neighbourhoods have been recent targets of this similar type of theft.
Follow up investigations by officers to property crimes has revealed that many vehicles, homes and outbuildings have been unlocked or windows have been left open. Officers have also noted that many neighbourhoods that have reported incidents have been very dark and there have been no exterior lights on around the homes. These contributing factors are increasing the ability for the suspects to be successful in taking items without being detected.
It is imperative that citizens understand that they must take an active role in crime prevention and make a concerted effort to secure their property and make their environment not inviting to thieves.
Thunder Bay Police Service Recommendations:
· Lock your vehicle every time you get out.
· Do not leave cell phones, lap tops or items of value in your vehicle. If they see it and they want it, they will take the risk to get it even if that means breaking your window!
· Do not leave shopping items visible in your vehicle. Thieves will do their holiday shopping from the back seat of your car, at your expense!
· Do not leave ashtrays open with money visible. That is the first place they look.
· Lock your residence, garage and shed. If you have an alarm system make sure you use it.
· Do not leave items in your yard that could be used to get into the windows of your residence or garage.
· Sensor lights are highly recommended in your yard. Prowlers can easily go undetected if they are protected by a blanket of darkness.
Paying attention to these simple recommendations may reduce your chance of becoming a victim of Property Crime.
Police are encouraging anyone who is a victim of a property theft to report the incident to the TBPS online at www.thunderbaypolice.ca or call the non-emergency number at 684-1200. For police to fully understand the scope of the issue, they need to have the incidents reported in order to analyze and allocate resources.
