Joel Goldenberg – The Suburban LJI Reporter
A car with an Alberta license plate that had been stolen was discovered in Montreal West and returned to its owner, Councillor Lauren Small-Pennefather revealed as part of her monthly report at the January public meeting.
“Everybody knows that a number of cars are being stolen across North America that show up in other places in the world,” she explained. “On Dec. 28, there was a car parked for three days in the town and a Public Security Officer verified with the RCMP’s Stolen Vehicle Registry that it was stolen, and it was returned to the owner. It was a 2019 Dodge Ram. The system works when it can and, luckily, that person had their vehicle returned to them, but these are very difficult times and stolen property is an issue.”
Small-Pennefather added to The Suburban that the vehicle had not been ticketed “because of the holiday overnight tolerance.
“The PSO checked the online RCMP stolen vehicle registry as the vehicle had Alberta plates. The plate came back as reported stolen and the SPVM was called. The police were able to reach the owner who came to get the vehicle and thanked the PSO.”
During the council meeting, Small-Pennefather also repeated her message from December, not to leave valuables or personal information in a vehicle, including insurance cards.
“But the thieves are becoming more sophisticated. If you have someone coming to your door, as I did today (Jan. 22), somebody checking to see if there were any gas leaks. I did ask for identification to make sure the person was who they were, even though she had a uniform and a truck. Just make sure to take the proper precautions. It’s important to remain vigilant.”
Also as part of her report, the councillor said there are individuals, “in close proximity, who are responsible for a number of break-ins going on in the town.
“The police are aware, they’re working with Public Security as well to make sure the individuals are apprehended. Please be very cautious about making sure doors are locked. Even if you think [car] doors are locked, if you have a remote, check your doors. The [thieves] check until they find a door that’s open. The same goes for your homes, make sure your front doors are locked as well. There have been two cases where someone had gone into someone else’s house because the doors had been unlocked. People leave their garage remotes inside of their cars, so if someone is able to get into your car, they can get into your garage and your home as well.” n