Westworld Saskatchewan

f a l l 2 0 1 5 | w e s t w o r l d 41 drive smart Stop Thief! On a roll with decreasing car thefts by Lawrence Herzog U p to 10 vehicles were being stolen every day in Regina in 2001, mostly by chronic repeat offenders. at year, the peak of the problem, there were 3,843 inci- dents of vehicle theft. Thanks to increased efforts to educate the motoring public and enhanced monitoring of offenders, the num- ber of vehicle thefts in Regina fell to 831 in 2014 – a 78.4 per cent reduction. In just the past 10 years, the city has seen a 60.3 per cent decline in auto thefts, according to the Regina Police Service. Early numbers from 2015 look promising as well. "From January 1 to April 30, we had 196 incidents of auto theft," says Elizabeth Popowich, manager of public information and strategic communication for the Regina Police Service. "at compares to 229 incidents for the same period last year. It's a reduction of 14.4 per cent." Province-wide, SGI reports the incidents of auto theft have remained largely unchanged in the past five years. In 2010, 2,368 vehicles were reported stolen, totalling $10.6 million; 2014 saw 2,135 vehicles stolen, resulting in $12.4 million in claims. Efforts to educate the public in prevention, more effective policing and new technologies such as immobilizers (mandatory on new vehicles sold in Canada since 2007) are seeing results. Immobilizers cut the starter, ignition and fuel circuits, making vehicles very difficult to start without the proper key. Yet many driv- ers are still making it too easy for thieves. Astonishingly, 60 per cent of vehicles stolen in Saskatoon have the keys inside, reports the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS). ProTecT Your ride Take these easy steps to prevent your vehicle from being stolen: Lock your vehicle and don't leave your keys (or spare ones) in it. If your vehicle doesn't have an immobi- lizer, buy one and tell potential thieves about it with a window sticker. Don't leave any belongings visible in the vehicle. Never leave your vehicle running and unattended, even with the car locked. Avoid parking near dark areas or near trees or fences, which provide hiding places for thieves. Remember that remote starters pose a risk – leaving your car running while it is empty can tempt thieves. Some vehicles come with "valet keys," often stored inside the owner's manual – remove them before a thief finds it. Sources: SGI, Regina Police Service, Saskatoon Police Service "Cars newer than 2005 are more difficult to steal without the transponder keys," says Tim Failler, detective staff sergeant in charge of the economic crime section at the SPS. "e sus- pects in these aren't typically looking to steal a car, but when they go through for change and electronics and come across a set of keys in the glovebox or console or under the floor mat, then it becomes a joyriding expedition. We recover the majority of these vehicles." That's why, in its public awareness cam- paigns, the SPS is urging drivers to "treat your keys like cash." Last spring, the city's Chief of Police created a stolen auto task force, which reviews strategies and identifies suspects. e efforts may be paying off: in the first 107 days of 2015, vehicle thefts in Saskatoon dropped 19 per cent from the same period in 2014. ieves usually pick quick and easy targets, notes SGI, so motorists should make it as hard and time-consuming as possible for a thief to break in or steal their vehicles. Of course, not everyone can afford a new vehicle, and there's still a lot of older stock parked in driveways all over the province. "e auto theft numbers may continue to drop as people buy newer cars with newer anti-theft technology, but for now, we are still working at trying to help educate people about the steps they can take to safeguard their property," Popowich says. "If we could get people to lock their doors, remove keys and other valuables and use something like a steer- ing wheel locking device, we could bring those incident numbers down even further." Steering wheel locks, secured with key- lock systems, don't protect a vehicle's con- tents, but they do make them harder to steal. Other devices include protective steel security collars, which encase the steering column and prevent access to the starting mechanism, and electronic disabling devices and alarms. W 5 MoST SToLen VeHicLeS in SaSkaTcHewan in 2014 Thieves in our province love our four-wheel drives – all top-five stolen vehicles were 4WD. Ford F150 Supercrew 4WD Ford F350 Super Duty Crewcab 4WD Diesel Chevy Silverado 1500 Crewcab 4WD Ford F150 Supercab 4WD Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4WD #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Source: SGI auTo THefT cLaiMS in SaSkaTcHewan Year # of claims $ of claims 2010 2,368 $10.6 million 2011 2,395 $12 million 2012 1,945 $10.3 million 2013 1,903 $9.8 million 2014 2,135 $12.4 million Source: SGI

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