Snow brushed off windshields could mean vehicle targeted for theft: police
Snow brushed off windshields could mean vehicle targeted for theft: police
A police vehicle sits outside the Ottawa Police headquarters on Elgin St. in this undated photo. (CTV News Ottawa)
Ottawa police are highlighting a new possible sign that vehicles are being targeted for theft.
Police tweeted late Monday morning they've received reports that residents have noticed snow was cleared from their vehicles' windshields overnight, but only on the area that would allow someone to see the vehicle identification number (VIN).
"While their vehicles were not stolen, it is believed these vehicles are being scouted for future vehicle theft," police said.
Residents have filed reports today after noticing that the snow had been removed from their windshields overnight – only in the area where the VIN is located.
While their vehicles were not stolen, it is believed these vehicles are being scouted for future vehicle theft.
Det. Doug Belanger, working on the auto theft file, told CTV News Ottawa he received two reports Monday morning from an area near the Ottawa Hospital General Campus and CHEO, but he said the issue is not unique to that part of the city.
"This has been going on for awhile," he said, noting that vehicle thefts have been on the rise in recent years, largely affecting high-end Toyota, Honda and Lexus vehicles, among others.
Notably, he said one of the recent reports involved a RAV4, which he said was novel.
"It's something we're seeing, the RAV4s rising on the list of high theft-risk vehicles," he said.
The ongoing issue of vehicle thefts in Ottawa, especially affecting high-end cars, trucks and SUVs, is one patrol officers are aware of, but these reports do prompt notifications to be on alert in affected areas. Belanger said, however, that the widespread nature of this crime means it's difficult to keep any eye on every part of the city.
"There are only so many people out patrolling each night," he said.
It's why he suggested the tweet be issued, Belanger explained. Residents reporting suspicious activity, however insignificant it may seem and even if it's not in itself a crime, can give police investigative leads. Officers can check for surveillance video in the neighbourhood to attempt to identify potential suspects or suspect vehicles and possibly tie them to other investigations.
"If your vehicle is being targeted, your neighbours' are likely as well, so even just telling your neighbours can help," Belanger explained.
Vehicles, once stolen, are difficult to recover. Trends show most vehicles that are stolen in this region are bound for the port of Montreal, to be shipped overseas. Belanger says roughly 30 per cent of vehicles are ever recovered after they disappear.
"This is a problem that is not going away," he said.
Police are recommending vehicle owners consider buying after-market theft-prevention devices and to report suspicious activity.
Take every precaution to secure your vehicle, including using a vehicle immobilizer, diagnostic port lock, club, parking in a garage, or using another vehicle to block you in.
The 2023 federal budget includes a 'grocery rebate' that will be offered to Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
Flying over the Grand Canyon was a highlight for the Gellisen family during their trip to Phoenix, but their flight home to Toronto was a much different experience, with several family members forced off of the flight over tensions related to a teen's wheelchair.
Lettuce prices are likely to rise next month and could stay high into the summer, agriculture experts say, as flooding in a key California farming area becomes the latest example of extreme weather's effect on the food chain.
Police have identified a teenager who died after being stabbed in an ‘unprovoked’ attack at a Toronto subway station Saturday night, and have charged an adult male suspect with his murder.
An organizer with a group advocating for the rights of migrants in Canada is urging the federal government not to penalize potentially hundreds of international students facing possible deportation over fake school admission letters.
In France, a country that taught the world about people power with its revolution of 1789 -- and a country again seething with anger against its leaders -- graduating from bystander to demonstrator is a generations-old rite of passage.
A Royal Canadian Navy frigate departed Halifax today as part of the federal government's wider strategy of boosting its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
As the Prince Edward Island election approaches its final week, the Green Party is fighting to hold onto its historic gains from the last provincial vote -- a battle some experts say could result in lost seats.
Police have identified a teenager who died after being stabbed in an ‘unprovoked’ attack at a Toronto subway station Saturday night, and have charged an adult male suspect with his murder.
Montreal police say a fifth body has been extracted from the rubble of a heritage building that caught fire nine days ago, leaving two others still missing.
The 2023 federal budget includes a 'grocery rebate' that will be offered to Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
Flying over the Grand Canyon was a highlight for the Gellisen family during their trip to Phoenix, but their flight home to Toronto was a much different experience, with several family members forced off of the flight over tensions related to a teen's wheelchair.
A crash involving a commercial vehicle north of the Sault has completely closed Highway 17 from Highway 101 East in Wawa, Ont. to Frater Road before noon Sunday, the eastbound lane reopened around 7p.m.
Damage is estimated at $50,000 after a residential fire in London on Sunday. Crews were called to the scene on Rideout Street early Sunday morning that temporarily displaced several people from their units.
Nearly five years after the legalization of marijuana in Canada, one local cannabis retailer feels Manitoba should be more proactive and flexible when it comes to regulating pot sales in our province.
Flying over the Grand Canyon was a highlight for the Gellisen family during their trip to Phoenix, but their flight home to Toronto was a much different experience, with several family members forced off of the flight over tensions related to a teen's wheelchair.
A 49-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a weapon in connection to injuries suffered by a 50-year-old woman in Cambridge.
Worries of a recession in 2023 got another jolt this weekend with former Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz warning the country’s economy is at a greater risk of a “hard landing” – a rapid economic slowdown following a period of growth and approaching a recession. For small businesses, it's a prediction that brings concern.
The appreciation and respect shown by the public after two Edmonton Police Service officers were killed in the line of duty has not gone unnoticed, their families said in a statement ahead of the regimental funeral on Monday.
The Saskatoon Blades' last two home games of the season have been against the Regina Pats, and with top NHL prospect Connor Bedard drawing big crowds wherever he's playing, almost 30,000 fans have come through the turnstiles at Sasktel Centre.
City administrators are calling for a design change on Main Street and Clarence Avenue that would prevent vehicles from using Main Street as a thoroughfare rather than 8th Street.
The appreciation and respect shown by the public after two Edmonton Police Service officers were killed in the line of duty has not gone unnoticed, their families said in a statement ahead of the regimental funeral on Monday.
The procession for two Edmonton police officers who were killed in the line of duty is scheduled to leave the Alberta Legislature grounds toward Rogers Place at approximately 11:45 a.m.
Lettuce prices are likely to rise next month and could stay high into the summer, agriculture experts say, as flooding in a key California farming area becomes the latest example of extreme weather's effect on the food chain.
A temporary foreign worker from the Philippines who was fired from her job as a caregiver after a cancer diagnosis has been awarded over $45,000 by the BC Human Rights Tribunal.
A police vehicle sits outside the Ottawa Police headquarters on Elgin St. in this undated photo. (CTV News Ottawa)
