TERRACE RCMP are reporting a sudden rash of vehicle thefts and attempted vehicle thefts. Over a period of three days there have been two vehicles stolen and four more attempts.
During the night of January 12/13 a 2002 Ford F-350 Diesel truck with BC LP# CC 40555 was stolen from the parking lot behind the scales on Hwy 37. The truck has a steel dry box in the back and force lights on the front.
During the night of January 13/14 there were two vehicle theft attempts. A resident of an address in the 4800 block of Haugland Ave heard noises outside at approximately 4:30 AM.
He went outside to investigate and saw a man behind the steering wheel of his truck, a grey 2000 Chevrolet. The thief ran off down the street and north on to Eby St. There was damage to the ignition as well as the steering column of the truck.
In the second incident a 2000 GMC pick up truck parked in the Summit Court Apartments parking lot on Sparks St had its ignition tampered with.
During the night of January 14/15 two vehicles parked on the west side of the Keystones Apartment's parking lot on Scott Ave were damaged during an attempt to steal them. A tan 2003 GMC 2500 truck had the face plates on the steering column removed and the ignition damaged. A silver Canon Sureshot camera was stolen from the interior.
The second vehicle, a green 2002 Dodge pickup truck, had its ignition damaged.
On January 15 between 7 PM and 9:30 PM a blue Plymouth Sundance BC LP# 970 RAX was stolen from an alley south of the 3200 block of Kalum St.
"Terrace is a very safe community to live in. Thefts like this are not the norm. In all of these incidents a little bit of prevention might have deterred the thieves, " says Cst Angela Rabut, media relations officer Terrace RCMP.
12 tips to prevent vehicle theft:
Lock your vehicle. Roll up the windows.
Never leave your vehicle running if it's unattended
Don't leave your keys in the ignition, in key boxes, or inside of your garage.
Don't leave valuables inside of your car, especially in plain view.
Use your garage.
Install a mechanical device that locks the steering wheel or brakes.
Make sure you have your licence plate and vehicle identification number (VIN) written down.
Buy a vehicle with a security system.
Park in well lit areas with as many people around as possible.
Use your emergency brake when parking.
Consider installing a vehicle tracking device.
Have your VIN etched on the window or other major parts of the vehicle. This allows your vehicle to be traced more easily.