Police would like to remind the public that one of the best defences against becoming a victim of “car hopping” is to always ensure no valuables are left in your vehicle.
The Thunder Bay Police Service has been receiving more reports related to thefts from vehicles. The increases do not appear to show any kind of pattern. Reported incidents occur at various locations in the city, in rural neighbourhoods, during the day, evening and nighttime hours.
Car hopping refers to a criminal practice in which a person, or group of people, target a neighborhood and attempt to break in and steal from multiple vehicles in a short amount of time. Often a person involved in car hopping is checking for unlocked doors and ignores locked vehicles. However there are cases where the would-be thief breaks into locked vehicles.
Commonly, police services will remind the public to “lock it or lose it.” This refers to the practice of keeping vehicle doors locked and valuables out of sight to prevent becoming the victim by would-be car hoppers. While this is a great crime-prevention practice, an even better defence remains keeping valuables out of your vehicles entirely and not just out of sight.
If you have been the victim of car hopping, and it is no longer an incident in progress, consider making a reporter via the Thunder Bay Police Service’s online reporting tool: https://thunderbaypolice.ca/key-services/services/online-reporting