PERTH COUNTY – The number of stolen vehicles in Perth County is on the rise.
And according to Const. Jillian Johnson of the Perth County OPP, many of these stolen vehicle cases could have been prevented by simply taking the keys out of the vehicle.
In the past year alone, Perth County OPP have responded to nearly 80 reports of stolen vehicles. Factor in recovered vehicles, officers could be dealing with a stolen vehicle every other day, says Const. Jillian Johnson.
“It’s nuts,” said Johnson. “It really limits the proactive stuff we’re able to do because we’re tied up for hours dealing with the preventable stuff like stolen vehicles.”
Unfortunately, the number of stolen vehicles in Perth County continues to climb. In 2020, police received nearly 60 reports of stolen vehicles, and 70 in 2019.
And according to Johnson, many of these thefts are preventable.
“This time of year, when people are leaving their vehicles running to warm up, it does make them a target. Often times, it doesn’t even need to be running; just left unlocked with the keys in it, or accessible,” she said.
The Perth County OPP are hoping to shed some light on exactly what goes into investigating a stolen vehicle and how these thefts can impact community safety.
“Our hope is that we can really inform the public what all of the issues are, the time involved to investigate one of these crimes, but also the risks associated because people may not recognize that the people who are stealing the vehicles are not people who care about following the rules of the road and often don’t have drivers’ licences, often drive while impaired,” she said. “It’s a huge risk to the public, everyone on the road, near the road, but also a lot of time to investigate.”
Johnson stated many stolen vehicles are often used to commit other crimes, such as break and enters or fuel thefts.
“Unfortunately, more people become victimized… we’re trying to prevent those,” she said.
Another issue Johnson addressed is the notion of, “oh well, insurance will cover that.”
“There’s a lot more that goes into investigating a stolen vehicle than, ‘oh, insurance will cover it,’” she said.
As part of a stolen vehicle investigation, police will need to:
– take a statement from the victim;
– look for evidence at the scene (possibly getting a forensically-trained officer to assist);
– canvas neighbours for witnesses and video surveillance;
– write reports;
– create a Zone Alert for the officers in surrounding counties to be on the lookout for the stolen vehicle (which all officers then have to read);
– add the vehicle to the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC); and
– request a media release for the public.
And when a vehicle is located, Johnson said, it may have been involved in a collision, which could result in injuries, thus involving paramedic services, fire departments, hospitals, and tow trucks.
Johnson said an officer then has to complete reports for the recovery of the stolen vehicle, and has to go through the same process – reports, statements of witnesses, look for evidence, cancel Zone Alerts, remove the vehicle from CPIC, and notify the owner of the recovery.
If police are fortunate enough to be able to arrest someone in a recovery, more paperwork needs to be completed to create the court file. Officers may get called to testify at the trial, if there is one.
“We hope people recognize the bigger picture – what these vehicles are being used for, the danger they pose on the roads, and the number of hours spent trying to investigate these types of crimes,” said Johnson. “I’m not saying that every single vehicle that’s stolen is because the keys are left in it, but historically, locally that’s what we’re seeing.
“And they’re not being hotwired. Most of the time, when we recover a vehicle, the keys are right there with it.”
What can the public do to help?
Johnson provided the following tips for vehicle owners:
– lock your vehicle;
– do not leave keys accessible (in vehicles or in unlocked garages/sheds);
– ensure your property is well lit, and consider motion lights;
– install security features, such as alarms and surveillance cameras;
– store smaller vehicles (ATVs, snowmobiles and tractors) indoors, if possible;
– report suspicious activity immediately; and
– make sure to report thefts, even if it’s after the fact.
In order to report a stolen vehicle, victims can call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. It is now possible to report some crimes online at www.opp.ca/reporting. If a person has information and wants to remain anonymous, they can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous online message at www.P3tips.com where they may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
