Auto thefts up 39% over last year in City

Auto thefts are proving to be a persistent problem for police, with thefts in Regina up 39 per cent compared to the same time last year.

As of July 2018, there have been 708 auto thefts this year, compared to 508 in July 2017.

“The unfortunate thing is, it’s not hard to go on the internet and find out ways to steal a car,” said Chief Evan Bray at a board of police commissioners meeting Wednesday morning.

When asked how to stop the rise, Bray was candid.

“If I had the answer to that, I’d probably be going on a talking circuit,” he said, adding that tackling the issue is a monumental task.

“What we have to dig into is ways to prevent that, working with those who are committing these crimes, finding out why they are.”

Emphasizing a point he has made on many occasions, Bray said solutions are complicated because auto thefts are often linked to other high-risk activities in Regina, like drugs and firearms offences.

After speaking with other police forces during recent meetings with the Canadian Association of the Chiefs of Police, Bray said Regina isn’t the only city struggling with this problem.

“I spoke with the chief in Waterloo and he said (their) car thefts are through the roof right now,” said Bray.

In addition to auto thefts targeting strangers, Bray said he has seen a lot of situations in which someone takes a family member’s or friend’s car without asking and then uses it in the commission of a crime.

When asked if this year’s spike warrants changes to the stolen auto strategy, Bray said the strategy is often revised in attempt to tackle the issue.

The unfortunate thing is, it’s not hard to go on the internet and find ways to steal a car.

“The auto theft strategy has probably undergone 10 changes in a decade. It’s constantly changing who we’re involving as partners,” he said.

“We’ve done everything from handing out clubs for cars in parking lots ... to going into schools, talking to different groups and organizations, and then of course working on the enforcement side of it as well.”

Mayor Michael Fougere echoed Bray’s sentiments about the complexity of auto theft crime and noted the city often sees a spike in crime during the summer months.

“We’re always concerned about stats going up, but we’re working as best we can to get control of that,” said Fougere.

Attempted theft of a motor vehicle was also up 37 per cent.

Car thefts aren’t the only numbers on the rise. Total crimes against the person (which includes offences such as sexual assault, robbery and kidnapping) are up 11 per cent from last year.

Crimes against property, which includes offences like arson and break and enters, saw an overall year-to-date increase of 2.7 per cent.