Lloydminster saw a downward trend of motor vehicle thefts last year, as did the rest of Alberta.
That’s according to information released by the province’s RCMP, marking March to December 2020 compared to the same time in 2019.
There was a 29 per cent decrease in theft from a motor vehicle and a 21 per cent decrease in people actually stealing vehicles in rural areas. In urban spots, they saw a 27 per cent decrease in theft from a motor vehicle and a 26 per cent decrease in the theft of motor vehicles.
Here in Lloydminster, the local detachment says they saw a 27 per cent decrease in stolen cars compared to 2019. In 2020, there were 287 car thefts, down 107 from 394 in 2019.
In an email to MyLloydminsterNow, Lloydminster RCMP Sergeant Brad Mouland said that while direct statistics relating to thefts from vehicles in Lloydminster aren’t available, as a whole, theft under $5000 saw a decrease of 35 per cent compared to 2019, and overall property crime was down 9 per cent.
The Alberta RCMP adds that while these decreases are welcome, there was still 7,800 theft from motor vehicle offences and over 7,100 theft of motor vehicle offences in Alberta RCMP jurisdiction.
As such, they’re reminding people to follow steps to keep their vehicle with them. These include removing valuables, locking car doors, using a steering wheel lock and never leave keys in a running vehicle.
They should also make sure they’re parked in a well-lit area, lock up their garage and take the garage door opener out of the car if someone has one.