Police believe drug trade fuelling surge in licence plate thefts
原始发布日期： 2016-01-08 发布者：李方字变大 字变小
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Licence plate thefts up by 80 per cent, police warn Calgary police are warning about a spike in the theft of licence plates, which they believe are commodities in the local drug trade. Licence plate thefts were up by roughly 80 per cent in 2015 over previous years, said Staff Sgt. Kristie Verheul, of the economic crimes unit. There are likely several factors driving the increase, Verheul told reporters Thursday. Investigators have seen motorists with outdated vehicle registrations or traffic offences steal new plates to avoid police detection. They also believe criminals driving stolen vehicles swipe fresh plates to hold onto those vehicles a little longer as they carry out more crimes. “We do believe that the drug trade is driving a lot of property crime,” she said. “Licence plates and stolen vehicles are a commodity.” Police have linked a big increase in property and violent crimes to the drug trade. In the first 10 months of 2015, break-ins, vehicle thefts, car prowlings and home invasions were up by at least 50 per cent over the same period of the previous year. When criminals steal licence plates, they often swap them rather than discard the old ones, which means law-abiding motorists could find themselves driving with stolen plates, Verheul said. Motorists should ensure they’ve got their own plates, she said. They can buy heavy duty lug bolts or anti-theft screws to deter thieves. rsouthwick@calgaryherald.com Calgary Herald |