Drivers told to lock-up after rash of vehicle thefts

Saskatoon Police are out with another warning for drivers to shut off their vehicles, lock their doors and take the keys inside.
 
The message comes after seven vehicles were stolen in Saskatoon from March 17-19. Police said three of those vehicles were running with the keys inside.
 
“A high number of vehicles stolen in Saskatoon are stolen because the key or the fob is in the vehicle,” Saskatoon Police Chief Clive Weighill told John Gormley on Gormley Monday.
 
Weighill told Gormley that the police airplane has seen the problem unfold live in real time. He said the air unit has followed suspects driving out of the city to swap stolen vehicles with whatever they can take from rural yards. 
 
“They’ll drive into a farm yard. very casually walk out of a stolen truck and get into a car (with keys inside). It starts right away and drives out,” he said.
 
The increase in stolen vehicles has come with a dangerous new trend. Weighill said suspects are driving dangerously trying to evade police, or even when officers aren’t around. He said this is causing unsafe conditions on roads.
 
“Our statistics on evading the police and police pursuits are probably double what they were last year,” Weighill said. “It’s a serious issue.”
 
According to Weighill,  vehicle thefts have increased as a result of the resurgence of crystal meth in Saskatoon, with users stealing to support their addictions.