WRPS issue warning after increase in thefts from vehicles

Waterloo Regional Police are reminding motorists to lock their vehicles and take valuables inside after receiving several reports of thefts from vehicles.

Since January 1, police have received 3,339 reports of thefts from motor vehicles, an increase of 6.8 per cent over the same time period last year.

Theft from motor vehicles is a crime of opportunity that can occur in a driveway, parking lot, or parking garage, they said this week in a release. In many cases, owners leave their vehicles unlocked, providing thieves easy access to their belongings.

In other instances, owners leave valuables in plain sight, enticing thieves to force their way into the vehicle and steal property.

Many times, thieves will target personal identity documents. Leaving identity documents in your vehicle can pose great risks and could result in identity fraud. Information on passports, ownership documents, insurance documents, or sensitive work data or material could leave you vulnerable.

During one instance, a victim had their ownership and insurance taken from their vehicle. The victim later discovered that the thieves used their name to obtain credit cards and make purchases.

Police encourage motorists to keep a copy their ownership and insurance in their wallet instead of in the vehicle to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of identity fraud. If there is more than one person operating the motor vehicle, they are encouraged to make an extra copy.

If someone has entered your vehicle and has stolen or tampered with your identity documents, contact police immediately. You are also encouraged to contact a credit monitoring agency and your financial banking institution immediately to report the incident.

You can take steps to reduce the risk of a theft by ensuring that:

Windows are closed and doors are locked when you exit your vehicle.

Valuables and identity documents are removed from your vehicle. This includes cash, electronics, work tools, jewelry or sunglasses.

If you observe suspicious people in your neighbourhood, looking into vehicles, we encourage you to report this to police immediately. This will assist us in tracking patterns of criminal behavior and potentially identifying suspects.

Crime in-progress can be reported by calling 911.

Non-emergency incidents can be reported online at wrps.on.ca or by