Fort St John RCMP ask the public to lock their vehicles when unattended

Fort St John RCMP wish to remind the public to remove their keys and secure their vehicles when they leave it unattended. This includes any items that may be in the box of a pickup truck.

From January 1, 2022 to March 16, 2022, the Fort St John RCMP received 48 reports of theft from motor vehicles under $5000 and one report of theft from motor vehicle over $5000. Fort St John RCMP received 14 reports in January, 19 in February and 15 in the first half of March.

In fall of 2020, a Fort St John RCMP officer conducted an unsecured vehicle project and found that just over 15 percent of vehicles were left unlocked based on a study group of 200 vehicles on two different nights in 5 different neighbourhoods. Thieves are always on the lookout for an easy target; walking down streets in the dark, checking car doors, patiently waiting for the vehicles that are left unlocked.

The BC Motor Vehicle Act states: a driver must not permit a motor vehicle to stand unattended or parked unless the driver has locked it or made it secure in a manner that prevents its unauthorized use.

Drivers and owners can be issued a violation ticket under the BC Motor Vehicle Act for Unsecured Motor Vehicle with a penalty of $81.

View larger photo - violation ticket

Items that have been stolen so far this year include cash/coins, wallets and purses (which include licences, identification cards and credit cards), dash cams, tools, gas cans and even light bars. In the instance where keys are located in the vehicle, the vehicles is often stolen as well.

While the RCMP doesn’t want to be seen as punishing victims of theft from vehicle, instances like these are easily avoidable and can help greatly reduce the frustration and loss experienced by owners and lower police file counts for preventable crimes.