Prince George auto thieves have been really truckin' lately.
Police have been following a wave of incidents concentrated on Ford or Dodge pickups. It is not the first time these makes and models have been keyed on by thieves, and local RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass said there are reasons for that.
"Pickup trucks are quite common in the north, so there is a plentiful selection, and the thieves also want to drive a vehicle that can handle northern roads and keep away from police, especially when they are stealing just for the thrill of it. They also tend to stick to what they know, so if they know a trick they will play those favourites."
There is a trend towards vehicles made in the 1990s.
"The average age of a stolen vehicle is 11 years old, now, which can be partially attributed to the fact the newer vehicles are harder to steal, with immobilizers and electronic keys and things like that. So the thieves go after what is easy for them," said Dougalss.
The two latest incidents happened Tuesday. Both of them involved:
- thefts from driveways of owners at home at the time
- 1990s Dodge pickups
- reported just before 7 a.m.
One occurred in the 2800 block of Athlone Avenue and the other the 1200 block of Bednesti Crescent.
"Police received a report of an erratic driver driving the wrong way down Highway 16 near Ferry Avenue," Douglass said. "Police believed this to be the stolen vehicle. Within a short period of time, the stolen vehicle was located unoccupied in a parking lot near the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 16. Officers at the scene identified the second stolen truck parked in the same lot and were able to determine through evidence that both vehicle thefts were associated to one another."
Of all the vehicles so far recovered, in this latest theft spree, some have been located missing parts such as wheels and tires, and anything of value has been removed from the passenger areas.
"These pickup trucks are clearly being targeted by a small group of thieves in Prince George," said Sgt. Darren Oelke of the Prince George RCMP Crime Reduction Team, the unit dedicated to prolific property offenders. "Although we are confident we have some of them in custody, there are others that have not yet been caught."
The Prince George RCMP ask vehicle owners to take extra steps to minimize vehicle theft by using anti-theft devices including alarms and immobilizers.
Contact ICBC or go to www.icbc.com/road-safety/prevent-autocrime for facts and advice on how you can prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
Stolen Wheels Roll Dangerously
One of the stolen vehicles on Tuesday was spotted by its owner while the thieves were on the move. When police closed in, the incident went from bad to worse.
"The driver of the vehicle began to drive erratically at the sight of a police vehicle," said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass. "While fleeing the area, the driver of the stolen pick-up ran a stop sign and caused a minor collision between two other vehicles at the intersection of Pinewood Avenue and Ospika Boulevard."
No one was injured in that crash, but the case wasn't closed yet, as Douglass would describe.
"The driver of the vehicle continued to take dangerous action to avoid capture, including crossing three lanes of roadway in order to run directly towards a police officer in a fully marked police car. The RCMP officers did not pursue in order to maximize public safety."
The man in charge of Prince George RCMP Traffic Unit, Sgt. Al Steinhauser, said this behaviour is not rare, in fact it is typical.
"In most instances, the people who steal vehicles have no regard for public safety or even their own safety. Their only concern is not getting caught," Steinhauser said.
Prince George wave of truck thefts
Times and Targets
In the month of March, 36 vehicles have been stolen or attempted stolen within the Detachment area of the Prince George RCMP.
Of those 36, 23 have been either Dodge pick-up trucks (1995 to 2001) or Ford pick-up trucks (1992 to 2010).
March 2 - 2010 Ford pick-up stolen 1000 block of Patricia Boulevard - Recovered in Kamloops
March 4 - 2006 Ford pick-up stolen 3100 block of Vista Ridge Drive - Recovered on Collena Street
March 5 - 2005 Ford pick-up stolen 100 block of King Drive - Recovered 7900 Otway Road
March 8 - 1999 Dodge pick-up stolen 2600 block of Quince Street - Recovered
March 8 - 1998 Dodge pick-up stolen 100 block of North Tabor Boulevard - Recovered at Forests For The World
March 8 - 1997 Dodge pick-up stolen 1100 block of Limestone Crescent - Recovered at Forests For The World
March 11 - 1997 Dodge pick-up stolen 1700 block of Larch Street - Recovered on Minotti Drive
March 12 - 1997 Dodge pick-up stolen from the 4100 block of Bellamy Road - Recovered on a Forest Service Road
March 12 - Attempted theft of a 2005 Ford pick-up from 2100 block of Gregory Place
March 16 - 1998 Dodge pick-up stolen 2600 block of Links Drive - Recovered at the Hart Community Centre
March 17 - 1999 Dodge pick-up stolen 1700 block of Norwood Street - Recovered at B & E on Tedford Road
March 18 - Attempted theft of a 1995 Dodge pick-up from 1400 block of Connaught Drive
March 18 - 1998 Dodge pick-up stolen 6800 block of Tedford Road - Recovered on the 1400 block of Edmonton Street
March 19 - 1992 Ford pick-up stolen 1100 block of Francois Crescent - Recovered on the 1700 block of Redwood Street
March 22 - 2001 Dodge pick-up stolen 2600 block of Hollandia Drive - Recovered near 17th and Queensway
March 22 - 2000 Dodge pick-up stolen 3500 block of 15th Avenue - Recovered on Enemark Crescent
March 26 - Black 1997 Dodge pick-up stolen from the 1900 block of Clearwood Crescent - NOT RECOVERED BC licence plate BB5704
March 27 - Blue 1995 Dodge pick-up stolen from the 9000 block of Lattman Road - Recovered on Christenson Road (11-7476)
March 27 - Attempted theft of a 2000 Ford pick-up from 2500 block of Ridgeview Drive
March 28 - Attempted theft of a 1999 Ford pick-up from 2800 block of Oak Street
March 30 - Blue 1992 Ford pick-up stolen from 20th Ave & Central St - NOT RECOVERED BC licence plate CM9945
