Vancouver police say more than two dozen suspects have been arrested and over 80 charges have been laid in a pre-Christmas blitz aimed at stopping thefts from vehicles parked in the city's downtown core.
Const. Jason Doucette says concerns were raised after the number of thefts jumped dramatically in November compared with the same time last year.
In the weeks leading up to the holiday season, he says a group of officers began targeting parking lots where many of the incidents had occurred.
Officers watched as suspects went from vehicle to vehicle in search of property.
Doucette says they were monitored and arrested after the evidence had been collected.
Once in custody, police discovered many of the suspects were already known to them and had allegedly committed additional offences such as breaching court-imposed conditions.
"Theft from auto is a preventable crime and we all have a role to play in decreasing the number of break-ins," Doucette says in a news release.
"Do not leave anything visible in your vehicle."
