Nanaimo RCMP are warning members of the public to lock their vehicles and not to keep valuables there after several cases of theft were reported in Cedar recently.
According to an RCMP press release, sometime overnight on Aug. 14, two unlocked vehicles parked on Woodridge Road were rummaged through. A black Platypus backpack that contained mountain bike riding gloves was taken, as well as a Leatherman multi-tool and a spare tire for a bicycle.
That same night, items were taken from two other unlocked vehicles on Quail Grove Place. In those cases men’s wallets containing debit cards, credit cards and social insurance number cards were stolen.
The two locations of the thefts are in subdivisions within one kilometre of each other.
Ladysmith RCMP also put out an advisory after receiving 10 reports of thefts from vehicles in the Christie Road area of the Diamond over the weekend of Aug. 17-18.
The debit and credit cards stolen in Cedar have been cancelled, but police advise that SIN cards should never be left in vehicles as they can be used along with other personal identification cards to set up bank accounts and even establish lines of credit in the card holder's name.
Men’s wallets are one of the most common items stolen from vehicles and 40 per cent of all thefts from vehicles are from unlocked vehicles, noted the press release.
Anyone who has information about the thefts in Nanaimo is asked to call the RCMP's non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and quote file No. 2024-26223 or 2024-26234.
