Sherwood Park, Atla. - Strathcona County RCMP remind residents not to leave their vehicles running while unattended. In the past week police have responded to two vehicles thefts as a result of leaving vehicles running while unoccupied.
On Oct. 29, 2019, at approximately 5:50 a.m. a running vehicle was stolen from a Tim Horton’s parking lot while the victim was inside. The vehicle has since been recovered.
On Oct. 30, 2019, at approximately 6:00 a.m. a running vehicle was stolen from a victim’s driveway. The vehicle is still outstanding.
When the temperature drops police see an increase in stolen vehicle incidents after drivers warm up their vehicles while leaving them unattended. Criminals can very quickly seize the opportunity to simply drive the vehicle away. It only takes seconds for a thief to get into your vehicle and drive it away.
Vehicle thefts of this kind are crimes of opportunity and completely preventable.
If you have any information on these crimes, please contact the Strathcona County RCMP at 780-467-7741. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the "P3 Tips" app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.