Spike in vehicle thefts in Guelph prompts new police program

Thirty-three cars have been stolen in and around Guelph since April.

Constable Buzz Dean with Guelph Police says in the last month, the numbers are even more alarming.

“I think it would be fair to say we’ve had a spike, and the spike has kind of come to the foreground, just because there is a hand full of those vehicles that have been stolen with the keys that are actually for the vehicles and the thieves were able to obtain the vehicles with out much effort.”

It is not just owner error, Dean says there is a more alarming trend.

“It’s a real alarming tendency for these people stealing these vehicles, they know that we have certain guidelines and we as police officers will not engage in any kind of pursuit that puts the public at risk… A stolen vehicle can potentially be as dangerous as a loaded gun,” said Dean.

Dean adds that the increase has now prompted Guelph Police to create a program to battle this.

“We’re in the process of organizing and launching a project to specifically target stolen vehicles and the people that steal them, the people that would and could.”

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