Ottawa's downtown core has experienced a jump in thefts from vehicles.
Last week, there were 14 thefts throughout various parts of Centretown and 58 thefts in the Byward Market, says Insp. Chris Rheaume of the Ottawa Police Service.
In a normal week, police will see around three to four thefts from vehicles in the downtown area, said Rheaume.
Rheaume said this substantial increase happens every year during this time because of the amount of people downtown.
“People are coming down for Winterlude and they leave their purse or their wallet in plain sight as opposed to putting it in their trunk,” he said.
The Ottawa Police are asking people to ensure that cars are locked and to either remove all valuables from their cars or put them in the trunk.
Anyone with information on these thefts or any other crime is asked to call the Ottawa Police Service at 613-236-1222 ext. 7300 or Crime Stoppers at 613-233-TIPS (8477).