Stettler residents should do more than simply lock their vehicle doors -- they should also keep valuables out of the vehicle.
The message comes from Alberta RCMP after several break and enters to vehicles in the Leduc area where thieves entered vehicles to get at valuables inside.
"This tends to occur overnight, any night of the week," police said. "(We receive reports) from members of the public who have left their keys in the vehicle, and other valuables in plain sight."
Not all thieves have the same motives, nor are all valuables the same for opportunists.
"For some thieves, even spare change, Canadian Tire money, and cigarettes is enough to get their attention," Const. Julian Celms of Leduc RCMP said. "We want to stress to our citizens that being careful about what they leave in sight can be an easy target for thieves."
Most break and enters to vehicles occur in vehicles that are left unlocked, as police believe thieves will go through an area checking for unlocked doors.
Tempting items for thieves include spare change and cash, gift cards and Canadian Tire money, sunglasses, iPods, cell phones, plug-in cell phone chargers, GPS devices, wallets and purses, gym bags and briefcases and cigarettes.
"Ask yourself this: If I walked by my parked car, looked through the windows, is there anything that someone might be interested in taking? Even the smallest things often have value," Celms said.
If valuables have to be left in vehicles, taking the time to place them out of sight is an important step, police said.