(MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH, ON) – Shortly before 11 p.m. on Wednesday August 05, 2015, the Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was contacted by a rural resident of Perth Line 72 near Atwood, who reported the theft of an SUV.
Investigation revealed that the resident heard a noise coming from their driveway around 10:45 p.m. and then observed a vehicle leaving their property. A check outside revealed that an unfamiliar vehicle had been left on their property while their Chevrolet Equinox had been removed from their unlocked detached garage.
A check revealed that the vehicle left behind was a 2014 Ford Explorer. This vehicle had been reported stolen from a rural residence along Line 83 near Hesson around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday August 04, 2015.
The vehicle stolen from the garage along Perth Line 72 is a brown coloured 2011 Chevrolet Equinox which had Ontario licence plates 347YTW attached. It also had the keys left in the unlocked vehicle.
Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the Equinox or having information about the thefts of vehicles is requested to contact the Perth County OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), and you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000
Perth County is not immune to car and pickup truck thefts. Since January 1st 2015, the Perth County OPP has investigated sixteen reported thefts of these kinds of vehicles. The majority of these stolen vehicles had been left unlocked and most had the keys either left in the ignition, or hidden under the floor mat, behind the visor or in a cup holder.
Some of these vehicles were recovered and have been returned to the owners while others have been severely damaged or destroyed. Some have never been recovered.
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, about half of all stolen vehicles are used to commit another crime or are driven – often recklessly – for simple purposes of transportation (this is called ‘destination theft’). In these cases, thieves are usually amateurs who take advantage of owner negligence by grabbing the first vehicle they can find that’s been left insecure and has the keys inside.
“It may sound repetitive, but owners should take that extra care in securing their motor vehicles. Roll up your vehicle’s windows, lock the doors and pocket the keys. If we make this a habit, I am certain that we will see a decrease in these preventable motor vehicle thefts”. Inspector Steve Porter Perth County OPP.