BONNYVILLE – Bonnyville RCMP are raising the alarm when it comes to vehicle thefts taking place in the Bonnyville detachment area, but actions of the public are what is drawing attention from local Mounties.
“Vehicle theft continues to be an issue in the Lakeland,” states RCMP Staff Sgt. Sarah Parke. “So far in 2023, a vehicle is stolen every second day within the Bonnyville Detachment area.”
On Wednesday, the Staff Sergeant pointed out a major factor that is enabling vehicles thefts to occur in the first place is running and unattended vehicles.
“The Bonnyville RCMP have released information and statistics on this over the past year and yet the education piece does not seem to be reaching everyone as there continues to be vehicles left idling with the keys inside,” says Parke.
From Feb. 2-6, Bonnyville RCMP members took part in Operation Cold Start.
The purpose of the operation was to locate running vehicles between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. and determine whether those idling vehicles were locked or unlocked and whether they had keys in them or not.
During those five days, RCMP members found 28 vehicles idling unlocked with keys inside. Another 57 vehicles were found to be idling, locked with keys inside.
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Incidences of theft where vehicles had been left running with keys inside are considered preventable.
Additionally, investigations of a stolen vehicle complaint can tie up a significant amount of police resources, says Parke.
Providing one example of an investigation that occurred this past winter that involved several RCMP members including Police Dog Services and another assisting unit, Parke said, “Approximately 20-man hours were used to recover a stolen truck that had been left idling with the keys in it.”
She continued, “Had that driver taken the basic steps to prevent the truck from being stolen, that’s 20 hours that roughly 10 members of the RCMP could have spent on other investigations and proactive police work.”
Theft costs us all
Another factor to consider are the insurance costs associated with vehicle theft, notes Parke.
“Insurance payouts vary depending on the value of the vehicle and its condition when it’s recovered. Additionally, if there are drugs recovered within the vehicle there’s the added cost to sanitize the interior,” says the Staff Sergeant.
“While there is no average insurance cost made available to the public, it is fair to say we all pay every time a vehicle is stolen.”
Vehicle insurance policies have continued to climb over the last three years. While many factors play a part in the increase of insurance rates, rising vehicle thefts have played a part, says Colleen Boucher, a manager with Demers’ Insurance in Bonnyville.
Boucher has worked in the insurance industry for 23 years and has seen changing trends in insurance over that time.
In recent years, she has seen a tremendous increase in the number of vehicle theft claims. And while fire, theft and compensation rates have increased across the board, theft isn’t the only thing sparking higher rates.
“Rates have gone up because of theft, yes, but also because autobody shops’ ability to get parts and the cost of those parts are also rising. In winter, we see large numbers of deer claims processed as well,” said Boucher. “There are so many factors that are looked at by claims adjustors. Theft is just a part of that.”
From a law enforcement standpoint, insurance payouts come from a pool that everyone pays into through their premiums. “And as long as vehicles continue to be stolen, premiums will continue to rise for theft coverage – for everyone,” Parke says.
This is another reason to take preventative steps such as locking vehicles, not leaving the keys in the vehicle and utilizing remote starters.
