Oliver RCMP is reporting a recent increase in thefts from vehicles in the area, with two suspects in mind.
A man and a woman believed to be the suspects are “not committing sophisticated crimes.”
“They are simply trying to open door handles on vehicles and once they discover it is unlocked they take whatever they can carry. Unfortunately they have successfully stolen items of considerable value,” Oliver RCMP Sgt. Blaine Gervais said in a statement.
“These suspects continue to steal from unlocked vehicles only because it is of low risk of being caught and it is a fruitful source of income.”
Related: B.C. Wildfire vehicles broken into in Osoyoos
Gervais is warning vehicle owners to not leave vehicles locked “for amy amount of time” with valuables inside, “or you risk having it stolen.”
“Often when we do catch someone we believe is a suspect of a recent theft, the items found in their possession have no distinguishable identifiable marks, or serial numbers that we can use to prove the items are stolen.”
As well, Gervais suggested people record any serial numbers or mark property with something police can use to return to the owner.
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The statement comes after B.C. Wildfire Service vehicles were broken into in Osoyoos, while they assist with flood mitigation in rural Oliver.
The message also follows the track Penticton RCMP regional detachment commander Supt. Ted De Jager has set in the past, suggesting many instances of property crime are coming from unlocked vehicles.