Police are reminding vehicle owners about the risk of warming up their vehicles with the keys left inside.
Last week, Alberta RCMP discovered 504 unlocked vehicles with keys in the ignition as part of Operation Cold Start.
Conversely, there were 1,277 locked vehicles left idling with keys left inside.
“This campaign was a great chance to meet with community members and remind them that as temperatures dip, leaving a vehicle unattended can lead to it being stolen by opportunistic thieves who can then travel to commit additional crimes,” said Cpl. Mike Black of the Alberta RCMP’s Auto Theft Unit.
He notes by following simple tips, such as using a remote starter, remaining in the vehicle as it warms up, and remembering that vehicles with push starts can be driven without a key present, theft of vehicles can be reduced.
Officers interacted with 625 vehicle owners and provided 1,128 information pamphlets.
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@centralalbertaonline.com.
CentralAlbertaOnline encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the CentralAlbertaOnline app.