By Zach Moore, Special to The Chatham Voice
With the holiday season fast-approaching, the Chatham-Kent Police Service is encouraging motorists and passengers to Lock It Down when it comes to their vehicles and not to leave any valuables left in plain view. Chatham-Kent Police are participating in the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) annual Lock it OR Lose it Campaign.
“Thieves know that an unlocked vehicle is an open invitation to crime. So is leaving your valuables in plain sight,” said CKPS Const. Renee Cowell. “Leaving your vehicle unlocked or valuables in plain view gives thieves an easy opportunity for you to be victimized.”
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Members of the Chatham-Kent Police Service and the CKPS Auxiliary Force kicked off the campaign Tuesday afternoon, handing out pamphlets to citizens entering and leaving the Real Canadian Superstore and Walmart in Chatham.
“While we have started at the Superstore and Walmart, we will be attempting to raise awareness throughout the whole municipality.”
Motorists and passengers are urged not to keep personal documents, such as vehicle ownership, liability pink cards, credit card invoices or other documents containing personal information in their vehicles.
Identity thieves are looking for such documents so they can assume identities, secure credit card accounts, lease vehicles for export, and even take out mortgages against victims’ properties without their knowledge.
“Typically during the holiday season we do see an increase in crimes. While we’ve seen a decrease in vehicle thefts, we have noticed that the cases of identity theft and fraud have increased across Canada,” Cst. Cowell explained.
Cowell said the C-K Police is asking people to never leave their vehicle running unattended, to make sure their windows and doors are locked, to keep valuables in a secure place and park in well-lit areas or in a locked garage at night.
“By simply locking your vehicle and placing valuables out of sight, you are making it far more difficult for criminals to steal your vehicle or contents,” Cowell said.
Quick Facts
- Auto thefts have been on the decline over the past decade. However, in the past 12 months, they have been on the uptick. Stolen vehicles are up 1% to 73,924 across Canada.
- Identity Theft has also increased in recent years. Cases of identity theft and fraud have increased across Canada from 10,807 in 2010 to 11,594 in 2013 – a 6% increase.
