Vehicle theft continues to challenge communities across Manitoba, including Portage la Prairie, where residents are reminded to take precautions as Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) reports stolen vehicles cost the province around $40 million annually.
Tara Seel, MPI’s Media and Public Relations Lead, says the theft problem isn’t just in big cities; it’s province-wide.
“Unfortunately, the tried and true looking for vehicles that have their keys left in them is still one of the leading causes of theft,” Seel notes. “We always remind people to never leave your vehicle running unattended and never leave your keys in or around your vehicle."
Technology creates new risks
Seel also highlights a newer risk related to keyless entry fobs.
“The fobs that you’ll keep on your person, but don’t necessarily need to insert into something in your car, they send off a signal,” she says. “Thieves have figured out a way to copy the fob signal and use that technology to create their own key.”
Seel continues, “Never leave your key, your fob unattended, and even in your house, if you can keep it more inside your house and not in a drawer by the door, or hanging on a key rack by the door, because that signal is still accessible from outside.”
Simple steps to protect your vehicle
With July declared Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, Seel encourages drivers in Portage and beyond to adopt basic safety habits.
“You want to park in well-lit areas or even better, in a locked or secure garage,” she adds. “When parking your car, you want to make sure you’re always closing the windows and locking the doors and put valuables and packages in your trunk. That way they’re not visible to passersby.”
Seel reminds people that protecting vehicles benefits everyone.
“We just want to do everything we can to prevent our vehicles from being stolen because in the end it does cost everybody, and those vehicle costs or repair costs are going up and they’re going to continue to go up. We can mitigate those costs for all Manitobans by practicing prevention.”
Community vigilance matters
Seel also stresses the importance of neighbours looking out for each other.
“We can do things to prevent ourselves from becoming a victim of this crime. We can do things to prevent our vehicle from being stolen,” she says. “We’re putting that out there because we want to remind people that there’s things we can do to prevent ourselves from becoming a victim of this crime.”
In Portage la Prairie and across Manitoba, MPI urges everyone to stay alert and report suspicious activity.
Vehicle theft prevention starts with awareness and small actions can make a big difference.
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