Following reports of attempted vehicle break-ins in the Graniteville area of the city, the North Bay Police Service is reminding the public to lock their vehicles at night.
“It’s not new information, but it’s a consistent reminder,” said Cst. John Schultz, community safety coordinator for the NBPS.
Schultz says police receive reports of theft from vehicles a “couple of times a week.”
“Most of these are crimes of opportunity. Very seldom has a vehicle suffered a broken window to have something stolen from it and if that’s the fact, then it’s been a targeted smash and grab,” he explained, adding theft from vehicles isn’t relegated to a certain area of the city.
In addition to locking the doors, police also recommend taking valuable items out of your vehicle.
Schultz says when wallets are stolen out of vehicles, the thief will use the “tap” feature on credit and debit cards to make purchases. This can lead to a theft investigation turning into a fraud investigation while also creating more headaches for the victim.
“[The victims] have to contact their financial institution, they have to cancel their credit cards and get new cards,” Schultz notes. “That could be a financial hardship on them because if you rely on your debit card and you don’t have one for a few days, then how are you going to buy things?”
Schultz also recommends reporting any theft from your vehicle regardless of what was taken. He says the more information police have on crimes in the community, the higher the odds they will catch the criminals.
“That’s how we catch these guys. We lay charges in relation to this consistently. But we need the community’s support and help,” he said.
