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Thefts from autos on the rise in West Vancouver

West Vancouverites are continuing to make things too easy for property criminals. Two people have been arrested after a rash of vehicle break-ins in Ambleside and Dundarave. A number of thefts had been reported overnight Thursday.
break ins

West Vancouverites are continuing to make things too easy for property criminals.

Two people have been arrested after a rash of vehicle break-ins in Ambleside and Dundarave. A number of thefts had been reported overnight Thursday. In the morning, officers received a report of a man and a woman loading a suspicious amount of goods into a cab shortly after 8 a.m. Police waved the cab down, seized the property and arrested two North Vancouver residents out front of the West Vancouver police station, according to Const. Jeff Palmer, West Vancouver police spokesman.

Officers returned a number of the items to their rightful owners who came forward as victims. But a cache of keys, high-end bags and purses, electronics, and a power drill remained. West Van police posted a video of the unclaimed goods to their Twitter account Thursday in hopes of reuniting the goods with their owners.

 

In March, West Vancouver police warned that thefts from parked cars had doubled year over year. That trend has continued. Occasionally, the thefts involve smash-and-grabs of valuables left in plain sight but in the majority of cases, all the thieves needed to do to get into the car was pull on the door handle.

In April, officers arrested a suspicious man in Altamont and found him in possession of a stolen wallet and ID, as well as a map of the best West Vancouver neighbourhoods to target.

“There’s no shortage of people coming into the district trying for easy, quick thefts from auto. People just need to have that second thought about ‘What am I comfortable leaving in my car?’ Well, the answer should be ‘nothing,’ Palmer said. “It’s a safe community but not safe enough for your property that you can just leave it out for somebody to come and take with little to no effort.”