Police are reminding car owners to lock up their vehicles in the wake of a troubling rash of thefts over the past five weeks.
Since Oct. 1, there have been 488 reported thefts from vehicles around the city, with half of those thefts occurring in the downtown area. In all of the break-ins, thieves either gained access to the vehicle through an unlocked door, or broke a window.
“Residents are reminded not to leave any valuable items in their vehicle,” said Staff Sgt. Sam Fawaz, with the department’s central district.
“Crimes of opportunity are avoidable by taking simple steps to crime-proof yourself. In short, ‘if you can see it in your vehicle; the thieves can also see it!'”
In the event that a resident notices someone acting suspicious around parked cars, police ask that resident immediately contact police.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 613-236-1222, ext. 7300.
