Halifax RCMP will start checking vehicles in neighbourhoods during the evening and overnight hours to see if they’re prone to theft.
Titled Operation Hawkeye, the new program will see officers check vehicles to see how secure they are and if any valuables are left in view, which could lead to theft.
Police say they have seen an increase in theft from vehicles over the past several months — many of which take place overnight when vehicles are parked in driveways or on streets in front of residences.
“We’re going to be out patrolling on foot, checking neighbourhoods and checking vehicles,” said police spokesman Cpl. Joe Taplin.
He said the program would last through the summer and possibly into fall. Taplin said if a vehicle isn’t secured properly or is prone to theft, officers would get in contact with the vehicle’s owner during the day to advise them of what they saw.
Taplin said from December through February, Halifax RCMP received 188 complaints from vehicles being broken into. There were 76 complaints from both Cole Harbour and Sackville, 20 from Tantallon and 14 from Musquodoboit.
“It seems there are always people out there breaking into vehicles,” he said. “It’s just a crime of opportunity for them.”
Police are reminding the public that tips to avoid being prone to theft include locking your vehicle and putting valuables out of sight, preferably into one’s residence.
