From January to August 2018 there have been 6,667 vehicle stolen across Alberta, with an average of 34 vehicles a day being stolen in 2017.

Constable Denzil Morey of the Strathmore RCMP detachment gave us his take on vehicle thefts.

He stated that in the town of Strathmore, as well as Wheatland County and Rocky View County alone there has been '49 separate occurrences of theft of vehicles' while 'specific to the town of Strathmore there has been occurrences.'

When asked the best way to protect your vehicle from being stolen, Const. Morey said, “To make sure you are using or installing a remote starter if possible. Make sure if you are warming up your vehicle that it is not left unattended with a set of keys in there.”

He also mentioned to not leave valuables in sight like wallets, purses, and phones, to remove them from your vehicle. He said to remove garage door openers from your vehicle even though it may be inconvenient, but if left in your vehicle it can open up opportunities of theft from your home.

Another reminder Const. Morey mentioned was that even if you have a push start ignition and you start your car and bring your key fob with you, thieves can still leave with your car without the key fob inside the vehicle.