Ottawa-Gatineau vehicle thieves prefer mall parking lots, daytime
Shopping centre parking lots. In broad daylight. That's where you're most likely to have your car stolen, according to Ottawa and Gatineau police figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests by Radio-Canada.
Topping the list are the South Keys Shopping Centre on Bank Street in Ottawa and Les Promenades Gatineau on Maloney Boulevard in Gatineau.
Reported car thefts in Gatineau have risen in the past year despite falling rates in Quebec, and Canada as a whole, according to Statistics Canada.
In Ottawa, reported thefts are also falling.
A spokesperson with Les Promenades Gatineau said in a statement that since the completion of redevelopment work in Aug. 2015, the mall has installed 120 surveillance cameras and have security vehicles perform regular patrols during mall hours to discourage these kinds of thefts.
Here's what the data show:
Opportunity knocks
According to police, some thieves pounce when an opportunity presents itself — idling cars or keys left in the ignition, for example. Others work for highly organized crime rings.
"Someone who's well organized, it can take him 30 seconds to steal a car," says Gatineau police spokesperson Jean-Paul Lemay. "Sadly, there's a strong percentage of thefts tied to the fact the key to start the car was inside."
Police say above all, it's a race against the clock for thieves. So one way to protect yourself is to complicate matters for them.
Install a security alarm with tracking capabilities, say police, or even a steering wheel locking device. Remember The Club?
