Watch out: Older pickups targeted for theft
In the first week of May we got a release from the Edson RCMP warning that there was an uptick in the theft of older pickup trucks. These were half to one ton picks ups ranging in age from 1996 to 2007. The vehicles were stolen from driveways, streets, parking lots and oilfield leases. All the vehicles were reported as being locked with the keys inaccessible.
In the first week of May we got a release from the Edson RCMP warning that there was an uptick in the theft of older pickup trucks. These were half to one ton picks ups ranging in age from 1996 to 2007. The vehicles were stolen from driveways, streets, parking lots and oilfield leases. All the vehicles were reported as being locked with the keys inaccessible.
We have seen other reports from other RCMP detachments in Alberta citing similar patterns so we decided to follow up with the Edson RCMP. Cst. Alex Ayres said, “It (theft of trucks) has slowed down quite a bit, with only two pickup trucks stolen since that release. This has coincided with some arrests that have been made not only here in Edson but in neighbouring RCMP jurisdictions.”
Ayres said that eight vehicles in total have been stolen in the recent spate, “All but one of those eight vehicles have been recovered. The majority were found undamaged, but two had minor damage and one was burned out. We are still investigating for what purpose they were stolen for.” We have read in releases from other RCMP detachments that some stolen vehicles may have been used in the commitment of another crime.
It is unlikely that the theft of older pickups will cease for good. So, you have locked your truck, your keys are not accessible. What else can you do? Ayres offered some actionable advice,
“CPIC (Canadian Police Information Centre) has a great tool that allows the public to search VINs to see if there is adverse information about the VIN,” said Ayres. “The website is located at http:// www.cpiccipc.ca/index-eng.htm and allows a variety of searches, not only for VINs. I would also urge buyers to always check the VINs for themselves, ensuring it matches the bill of sale and does not appear tampered. A google search of the VIN formatting for the manufacturer and model is a great way to ensure the VIN you see conforms to the manufacturer’s standard and has not been tampered with. This is especially important with off-highway vehicle purchases which tend to be tampered with more frequently.”
Having your driving licence, insurance and registration documents is a must if you are operating a vehicle. However, keeping such documents in the glove box or elsewhere in the vehicle is a risk if your vehicle is stolen and could gift criminals with further information for them to alter your documents, visit your address and/or attempt to steal your identity. Ayres admitted that keeping such documents on one’s person is not a bad idea, however, said Ayres, “That person must ensure any person operating the vehicle has those documents in case they are required to produce them in the event of a collision or traffic stop by police. Fortunately, with regard to alteration,” said Ayres, “police officers have systems tied in to registries across Canada which allows police to ensure the accuracy of paper documents by checking it against the provincial database.
For the public, some diligence on the front end as mentioned above should be sufficient to root out most cases of tampering.”
Ayres concluded with some useful advice, “I would once again urge vehicle owners to invest in tools to make their vehicle more difficult to steal,” he said. “A club being one prime example, it is inexpensive, especially compared to an insurance deductible, and makes their vehicle less attractive to steal by making it more difficult. Also, we find the public is our best ally in recovering these vehicles. If you see a suspicious vehicle, as in it doesn’t look to be parked normally or might be abandoned in a rural area, don’t hesitate to advise the detachment by calling our complaint line at (780) 723-8800 with as much detail as safely can be gathered.”