By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Red Deer motorists earn dismal grades in latest Lock It or Lose It check

Jul 3, 2018 | 11:31 AM

Red Deer motorists once again scored dreadfully in the latest Lock It or Lose It public education campaign conducted by local RCMP.

Mounties, alongside Citizens on Patrol, were out June 9 doing visual inspections on 106 vehicles parked at the Collicutt Centre. They did not try doors or touch vehicles, other than to leave a report card at the vehicle.

Only 33 per cent of the vehicles checked received a thumbs up, while six had visible keys left inside. Another 29 left possessions in plain view, 20 had electronics on display, and 36 had garage door openers in plain sight. Three even had windows left open.

The results are disappointing, according to Cst. Sean Morris, especially after the last check in January saw a 50 per cent success rate.

“It takes a thief mere seconds to smash your window and grab your possessions, and it’s frustrating to see so many citizens still making it easy for property criminals to ply their trade in the community. Every week, Red Deer RCMP get reports from people who leave purses and wallets in their vehicles throughout the day and even overnight, and many of these victims end up dealing with the ramifications of identity theft for months afterward,” says Morris.

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“The RCMP are working hard to reduce crime in Red Deer through increased patrols, covert operations and special projects like the warrant round-up and the drug trafficking sweeps, and the community needs to meet us halfway. Target hardening only takes a few extra seconds, and these are easy, smart behaviours that benefit individuals, your neighbours and the entire community.”

The campaign is part of ongoing crime reduction work by Red Deer RCMP and local crime prevention agencies to educate Red Deerians about ways they can avoid being victims of crime.

Red Deer RCMP and COP conducted five Lock it or Lose it events in 2017; the June 9 event was the second in a series of checks planned for 2018.

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Red Deer motorists earn dismal grades in latest Lock It or Lose It check

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