Police unveil top 10 most stolen items from cars in B.C.
The number of thefts from cars dropped by less than 1% in the Lower Mainland in 2017
Last year, 56,000 vehicles were broken into across B.C. leading police to urge drivers to hide valuables and lock their doors to decrease opportunities for criminals.
"They check sometimes hundreds of cars every day. If the door is open, they're going in. If they see a prize, your laptop, a wallet, your cellphone, they're going in," said Assistant Commissioner Eric Stubbs of the B.C. RCMP.
In the Lower Mainland last year, theft from vehicles went down by only one per cent and in other parts of the province it increased.
In the north, it went up by 23 per cent and Vancouver Island saw an increase of 16 per cent in 2017.
Ahead of Auto Crime Enforcement Month, the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) released the most commonly stolen items from vehicles.
Top 10 stolen items:
- Smartphones
- Personal electronic devices, including tablets, laptops, GPS, etc.
- Work tools
- Credit cards
- Documents and identification
- Cash or change
- Car parts and accessories
- Garage door openers
- Sunglasses
- Keys