Eleven Vehicle Thefts in 3 Days

Vehicles thefts in the City of Cold Lake “looks to be on the rise,” advises Sgt. Troy Hadland of the Cold Lake RCMP Detachment. Over a three day period, from July 22-25, there were 11 vehicle thefts reports Sgt. Hadland; which included, five trucks, four motorcycles, a quad, and lawn tractor.

These are crimes of opportunity, says Sgt. Hadland, “make sure vehicles are locked and no valuables or anything you don’t want stolen are left in your vehicles.” If you make it hard on the criminals, hopefully that’ll deter thefts. Sgt. Hadland says everyone can do their part in reducing theft, “if you see something suspicious, report it.”

The RCMP does not advice attempting to stop a theft or chasing after a criminal, “we’ve had that happen before and there is a high likelihood of injury or death to civilians.” If you witness a crime in progress, call 911.

There was also a licence plate stolen during the same three day period. Sgt. Hadland explains that often times criminals will steal licence plates and put them on stolen vehicle. Because of this, it can be tricky to identify the vehicle’s rightful owner. However, it is usually a sign for police that something is up, “we’ll run the plates and they will come back with a different vehicle, we know something is up,” explains Sgt. Hadland.

If you know of information regarding a crime call your local RCMP detachment or Crimestoppers, 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).