Five most common trucks to be stolen, RCMP hold informal vehicle theft prevention session

Images: Bonnyville RCMP. 

From January 2023 to February 2024, a total of 190 vehicles have been stolen from the Bonnyville RCMP’s detachment area.

That’s part of the reasoning behind an informal theft prevention session held at the C2 on Feb. 2. Mounties were on hand armed with information and tools that could help prevent thefts.

Steering wheel locking devices and RFID blocking pouches were provided at no cost to assist in keeping their vehicles safe. 

This pairs with the provincewide Operation Cold Start initiative from Jan. 8-12.

The most likely vehicles to be stolen across the province are pickup trucks with the top five vehicles stolen being:

1. Ford F250 Series (2007)
2. Ford F350 Series (2005)
3. Chevrolet/GMC Silverado/Sierra 2500 Series (2006)
4. Dodge RAM 2500 Series (2001)
5. Chevrolet/GMC Silverado/Sierra 3500 Series (2005)

“Last year the Alberta RCMP received 8000 reports of auto theft across the province,” says S/Sgt. Luke Halvorson, Alberta RCMP Community Safety and Wellbeing Branch. “Many of these thefts could have been prevented by following some simple safety procedures.”

These are some of the best methods of preventing a vehicle theft and protecting your belongings:

• Always keep the doors of your vehicle locked, especially if the vehicle is running.
• Never leave your keys in an unattended vehicle.
• Using a steering wheel club is a simple and affordable way to deter criminals from attempting to steal your vehicle.
• Ideally, remove all valuables from your vehicle. If that isn’t possible store them out of sight.
• Always keep your garage locked and do not store your garage door opener in your vehicle.
• If you can’t park your vehicle in your garage, park it in a well-lit area where it is visible.
• Consider installing a vehicle tracking system.

“Since Jan. of 2023, we’ve had 190 instances of vehicles being stolen and 73 instances of thefts from vehicles,” says S/Sgt. Sarah Parke of the Bonnyville RCMP. “We’re hoping that by meeting with the community, talking about what they can do to prevent auto theft, and showing them the resources that are available to them, we can get greatly reduce those numbers.”

This event was part of an ongoing effort by the RCMP to increase public awareness about vehicle safety in Alberta.