"Lock up your stuff!"
That's the best way to protect your belongings and personal property from theft, according to Drumheller RCMP Constable Eric Doucette, following a rash of vehicle thefts early Monday morning.
Drumheller RCMP are investigating four vehicle thefts on May 21 on 1st Street south west. All but one vehicle has been recovered
Doucette tells The Mail that between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. a Dodge Durango was stolen, and then abandoned a short distance away. The culprits returned and took a second vehicle, an F250, from the same home. This vehicle was recovered at a traffic stop in Calgary at about 11 a.m. Three females in the truck were arrested.
About a block away from the above theft, a 2018 GMC was taken. Doucette said the owner discovered the truck missing at about 9 a.m., and while He was on scene, they were able to track the vehicle using OnStar. It was located driving down Deerfoot Trail in Calgary. He explains that OnStar is able to disable a vehicle but only when police are in the vicinity to ensure safety. By the time Calgary Police had caught up with the truck it had been ditched, and there were no suspects.
A fourth truck that has not been located is a 2007 Chevrolet pick up with a slip tank.
During the same timeframe, a couple of vehicles on the street were rummaged through, and small items were taken. Police have surveillance video of two male suspects.
A vehicle recovered on Monday near the scene, was reported stolen from Calgary.
“The vehicles that were gone through were unlocked and the vehicles that were stolen were all stolen using the keys,” said Doucette.
He says RCMP reminds property owners to secure their property by locking their homes, sheds, and vehicles.
“These are crimes of opportunity. If people secured their property properly, it would deter much of this crime,” said Doucette. “For the most part, you are not going to be the target of this type of crime if you lock your stuff.”