North Vancouver RCMP are warning the public to remove anything of value and lock up their vehicles after a recent spike in thefts from autos.
Police crime analysts report there were 536 thefts from vehicles between Jan. 1 and May 15, an approximate 48 per cent increase over the same time period last year.
Supt. Chris Kennedy, officer in charge of the North Vancouver RC MP, said the majority of these thefts were preventable.
Seventy per cent of the targeted vehicles were left unlocked.
"If people started locking their vehicles, we could actually eliminate perhaps close to 70 per cent of all these thefts," said Cpl. Richard De Jong, spokesman for the North Vancouver RC MP detachment.
Items reported stolen included cell phones, wallets, purses, computers, sunglasses, cash and registration papers.
West Vancouver Police reported 70 thefts from vehicles over the same time period. Last year during the same time period in West Vancouver, there were 63 thefts from autos.
De Jong said it is difficult to pinpoint why some communities are hit harder than others.
"Criminals are transient, they do come from other communities," although "some of them are from North Van," he said.
Police are recommending the public be extra vigilant to avoid becoming a target of auto theft by locking car doors, rolling up the windows and removing all items of value from view.
To avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, wallets and personal identification, such as passports, driver's licenses and birth certificates should also never be left in a car.
