Car prowlings spike to 20-year high in Calgary

The rate of thefts from vehicles is higher nowthan it hasbeen since police started keeping statistics, which is about20 years ago, says Calgary policeInsp.Keith Cain.

"It seems to be a number of factors that arecontributing to this very concerning phase that we are going through, ortrend that we're seeing, " says Cain.

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That trend notonly includes thefts from vehiclesor car prowlings asthey are also knownbut other related crimes includingvehicle thefts, or break and enterintogarages, or homes, once the criminal has thegarage door opener.

Allof these types of crimes are up 50 per centover last year.

"All of this I suppose, education of the criminals, ofthem moving up thefood chain, has resulted in a hugeincrease in all these offences," Cain said.

Window repairs 'busier than ever'

It'skeeping auto glass shops busy around Calgary.CalAltaAuto Glass customer service representative KaryHeikoopsays she hasbeen getting one or tworelated calls every day.

"I'm surprised at the fact of how often, people are coming in and and everytime,I usually ask whathappened to the windshield so wecan understand, and constantly,vandalismsomebodybroke into it, smashed it," said Heikoop.

Jake Franklin, a technicianwith Dynasty Auto Glass, wonders if this year's increase isconnected to the economicdownturn.

"There's a lot of reallydesperate people out there and there's a little bit everywhere,that if they can find it they'll grab it."

No proof it's downturn-related

Cain says police don't have information yettoshow there's a direct correlation between the increase in crime and the downturn.

He says there's a wide range of people committing these crimes,but statistically, they'remostly adultswho are trying to fuel their drug addictions.

And it's happening all over the city. That's why police will be launching a city-wide home-protection blitz that will see flyers delivered face to faceto someone in the home.

The flyers provide somereminders on how to keep you, your vehicle and your home safe, Cain says.

"There should never be anything of value that's visible. If it's visible, the criminal may decide that it's worth their while to smashand do $200 or $300 or $400 inproperty damage to grab something that may only be worth $5 or $10 from your vehicle," he said.

Cain saysyou also shouldn'tleave keys or a garage door opener in the vehicle. And you shouldensure the door from the garage to the homeis kept locked.