Police say 30 vehicles have been broken into in the last two weeks in this region.
“What is common in all of them is that it looks like the vast majority (of vehicles) were unlocked,” said Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman.
He said stolen items include “purses to electronics to small amounts of change.”
Foreman said the dollar value of stolen goods is undetermined at this point. He said in most cases no damage was done to the vehicles as the suspect or suspects were easily allowed access through unlocked doors.
“There are no leads at this point,” Foreman confirmed Wednesday morning. “But if people call in there is an availability for us to lift fingerprints; we want to catch the person doing this.”
By leaving your vehicle door unlocked, Foreman said you become an “easy target” for theft. “While it may even be just a few dollars the important thing to remember is by leaving your door unlocked you are perpetuating further crime,” he said. “You’re feeding whatever addiction they may have.”
A similar string of thefts occurred last year targeting unlocked vehicles in Parksville Qualicum Beach. In that case, Foreman said the individual, who was eventually caught by police, admitted to simply walking down the street and checking for unlocked vehicles.
Foreman said he doesn’t believe the same individual is the culprit in this recent string of attacks. “Take out your valuables and lock your doors, it’s that simple,” advised Foreman. “These people are not breaking in through windows…Basically we’re feeding these people’s habits and making it really easy to commit crimes.”
