HANTS NORTH/ELMSDALE: Police are seeing a spike in vehicle thefts and stolen property crimes in the Hants North, Mount Uniacke and central Corridor of East Hants.
Acting Staff Sgt. Scott MacRae said the crimes are mostly preventable if people would lock their vehicle and household doors and didn’t leave their car keys in the vehicle.
“These are crimes of opportunity, and thieves are taking full advantage,” said Cpl. MacRae in an interview at the Enfield RCMP detachment on Aug. 30.
“Thieves are just going around and trying car doors and hoping they’re not locked, so they’re getting lucky.”
ADVERTISEMENT:
He said there are pockets of stolen property incidents being reported to police from the Rawdon area; Mount Uniacke; and through the Central Enfield to Milford Corridor area.
“We’re seeing a bit of an uptick in that type of crime in those areas,” he said. “Fortunately, these could be preventable simply by locking the doors/”
He said people in the area believe they can leave their doors to their houses and cars unlocked and their keys in them, but that isn’t as possible to do as it once was.
“As East Hants grows, we’re starting to see more city-like crime here,” said Cpl. MacRae.
ADVERTISEMENT:
Residents are being encouraged to lock their doors to their homes, to their vehicles, so they don’t become victims of crime.
“Nobody wants to lose their car. Nobody wants to lose their valuable possessions in their homes or cars,” he said. ‘Sometimes we do get those valuable possessions and vehicles back, hopefully not damaged.
“If their damaged then the people are dealing with their insurance company.
“We’d rather see the crime prevented than it happen at all.”
ADVERTISEMENT:
He said what police have seen in one recent case was thieves would steal one car, use it for a few other thefts and when it ran out of gas or break it dump it and get another car and continue the spree.
“There doesn’t seem to be any lack of this type of crime,” he said. ‘I know we sound like a broken record but lock your doors. It could be that simple to preventing this from happening to you.”
Cpl. MacRae said different behaviours are to be expected to be seen as the area develops and grows. But he thinks it’s still safe.
“I think East Hants is still, for the most part, still a relatively safe place, and I think most people would agree with me,” he said.
