Ottawa drivers, especially those parking an SUV in the driveway tonight, might want to pay attention to this one. A post from local account @shottawa.tv is making the rounds this week, pointing out that a vehicle is stolen in Ottawa roughly every nine hours.
The numbers behind the headline
Auto theft has remained a stubborn problem across the capital, and Ottawa Police Service data continues to show hundreds of stolen vehicle reports piling up year over year. While theft rates have shifted since the height of the cross-border auto theft crisis a couple of years ago, Ottawa still sees a steady stream of vehicles disappearing from driveways, parking garages and street parking, often overnight.
Which vehicles are thieves after?
According to the post, Ottawa Police have flagged a handful of models that show up again and again in stolen vehicle reports:
- Toyota RAV4
- Honda CR-V
- Jeep Wrangler
- Lexus RX Series
- Toyota Highlander
- Range Rover Series
Notice a pattern? SUVs dominate the list. Police say that's not a coincidence, these vehicles are popular, hold their value well on the resale and export market, and in many cases can be targeted using tech that bypasses factory-installed security systems. Keyless entry, in particular, has become a weak point that thieves have gotten increasingly good at exploiting.
What Ottawa homeowners can do
Police and insurance providers have been pushing a few consistent tips for residents worried about becoming a statistic:
- Park in a locked garage where possible, or as close to the house as you can
- Use a steering wheel lock or aftermarket immobilizer as a visible deterrent
- Store key fobs in a signal-blocking pouch to prevent relay theft
- Consider a GPS tracking device, which has helped recover stolen vehicles in several Ottawa-area cases
The bottom line for Ottawa drivers
Whether you're driving a RAV4 in Barrhaven or a Wrangler out in Kanata, it's worth taking a few extra minutes on security, especially given how routine these thefts have become across the city. The full breakdown, including the caption asking "is your car on the list?", is worth a look over on @shottawa.tv's Instagram.
Story via Instagram account @shottawa.tv.
