Lock It or Loose It

“Lock It or Lose It”

According to data released by Stats Canada in December 2008, Canada’s highest victimisation rate for individuals aged 16 and over, was for theft from a vehicle. Only 11% of vehicle thefts are solved in Canada and only 4 in 10 motor vehicles are recovered.

The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Crime Prevention Committee and the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) have partnered to make “Lock It or Lose It”, available to all police services in Ontario.

“Lock It or Lose It” focuses on vehicle theft and theft from vehicles. This idea while not new, continues to prove very successful in reducing thefts. This program, involves the checking of vehicles to determine if owners have secured their vehicles and placed items of value out of sight. A vehicle notice is placed on the vehicle, indicating the state in which the vehicle was found when checked.

Over the Christmas season St. Thomas Police Cadets will be checking vehicles and distributing the notices within the City of St. Thomas. There are many locations where this program will be utilized including arenas, malls, municipal parking lots, and areas that have experienced past victimization.

The vehicles notices are provided to police services at no cost, thanks to funding provided by the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

More information can be found at the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s website at: http://www.ibc.ca/en/Insurance_Crime/Auto_Theft/