The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) was busy in 2018 with 236 people charged with auto-theft-related charges.
A press release from the EPS Tuesday pointed out that the service’s Targeted Response to Auto-theft Prevention (TRAP) program, now in its second year, also recovered 218 vehicles. That amounts to about $4.6 million, according to EPS.
“These numbers certainly demonstrate the progress that our team is making,” says Sgt. Quinton Cruise, of the EPS TRAP team.
“Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of work for our members these days, though it’s certainly rewarding to bring more and more of these stolen auto investigations to a positive conclusion.”
The thefts are usually crimes of opportunity.
“Criminals are often scoping out their targets beforehand, looking for vehicles left unlocked or running in driveways and parking lots across the city,” stated Cruise.
2018 was a busy year with 1,035 new auto-theft related charges against those 236 people and police executed 392 warrants.
“Investigators also recovered six utility cargo trailers, three travel trailers, one boat trailer, one boat, an excavator and skid steer and one ATV,” states the release.
There were a total of 45 weapons (20 firearms and replica weapons) recovered, plus 79 stolen licence plates were also recovered by TRAP.
Anyone with information regarding suspects involved with stolen autos is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm.
