“Lock It or Lose It,” police warn
Toronto, ON (Nov. 27, 2018) – With the holiday season upon us, police leaders are warning motorists to Lock it OR Lose it when it comes to their vehicles and valuables because Bad Santas are looking to ruin this holiday season.
The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) has launched its annual Lock It OR Lose It campaign, which encourages drivers and passengers to take precautions to protect their vehicles and contents from theft, particularly during the holiday season. The campaign was kicked off at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto.
“This time of the year should be one in which we look forward to spending time with our families and friends. But would-be thieves are looking to play the role of Bad Santa by stealing your vehicle or valuables left unsecured. Keeping things such as GPS and mobile devices, laptops, shopping bags, money, and credit cards out-of-sight can go a long way in deterring criminal activities.” said OACP President Chief Kimberley Greenwood (Barrie Police Service).
This year’s Lock it OR Lose it campaign is being launched during the holiday season because it’s easy for people to be distracted and leave their vehicles unlocked or valuables in plain sight during the festive hustle-and-bustle. Police will use Lock it OR Lose it notices throughout the year as part of on-going crime prevention efforts.
“The insurance industry is proud to work with the OACP to support the Lock It OR Lose It campaign,” said John Tod, National Director, Investigative Services, Insurance Bureau of Canada. “Programs like these help to deter car thieves by making drivers aware of risks, and there are significant risks. Between 2016 and 2017, we saw an overall increase of 6% in auto theft across Canada. Don’t make it easy to be a victim of auto theft.”
During the Lock it OR Lose it campaign, police officers, auxiliary officers, and crime prevention personnel examine parked vehicles to confirm they are locked and that no valuables are left in plain view. A small notice is placed on vehicles advising what safety precautions were neglected and offer simple prevention tips for drivers to protect their vehicles against theft. The notices also congratulate drivers who have secured their vehicle.
Motorists are urged not to keep personal documents such as vehicle ownership, liability pink slips, credit card invoices, or other documents containing personal information in their vehicles. Identity thieves are looking for such documents so they can assume identities, secure credit card accounts, lease vehicles for export, and even take out a mortgage against victims’ properties without their knowledge.
Thank you to our community and corporate partners for their support of Lock It OR Lose It crime prevention initiatives across Ontario: Insurance Bureau of Canada, Accident Support Services International, arrive alive/Drive Sober, Circle K Stores, and Canpar for supporting.
Top 10 Things Would-be Thieves Look For
- Vehicle left running
- Unlocked doors or trunk
- Bags of any sort (especially shopping bags around the holiday season)
- Visible Electronics
- Phone Chargers showing
- Loose Change in view
- Sunglasses
- Tools
- Watch or other jewellery
- Easy access to the trunk from the vehicle cab
Infographic
#LockItOrLoseIt!
The Lock it OR Lose it Campaign is supported by a number of OACP partners:
- Accident Support Services International
- arrive alive/DRIVE SOBER
- Canpar Express
- Circle K Stores
- Insurance Bureau of Canada
The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police is the voice of Ontario’s Police Leaders
Members of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police serve their communities as the senior police leaders in municipal, regional, provincial, national, and First Nations police services across Ontario.
About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada’s private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up 90% of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada. For more than 50 years, IBC has worked with governments across the country to help make affordable home, auto and business insurance available for all Canadians. IBC supports the vision of consumers and governments trusting, valuing and supporting the private P&C insurance industry. It champions key issues and helps educate consumers on how best to protect their homes, cars, businesses and properties.
P&C insurance touches the lives of nearly every Canadian and plays a critical role in keeping businesses safe and the Canadian economy strong. It employs more than 126,000 Canadians, pays $9 billion in taxes and has a total premium base of $54.7 billion.
For media releases and more information, visit IBC’s Media Centre at www.ibc.ca.
SOURCE: Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC)
Tags: Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), theft, vehicle theft
