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Number of thefts from vehicles drops sharply after arrests

Two arrests last week could explain why Saanich police have seen a sudden drop in the number of thefts from autos.

On Jan. 30, two youths were seen prowling cars in the 600 block of Kent Rd. Police responded and identified the pair, but there was insufficient evidence to link them to any offences.

The following day, one of the two youths was arrested for an outstanding break-and-enter charge.

That same day, Saanich police arrested a man in a stolen vehicle who had been seen attempting to break in to cars at the Langford Walmart.

A 39-year-old man, who police say is known to have stolen from vehicles in the past, was arrested in the 200 block of Cadillac Ave.

"Where we would get eight, 10, 20 (reports of thefts from autos) in an overnight period, we're already seeing a dramatic difference," said Sgt. Dean Jantzen.

Last week Saanich police reported 122 vehicle break-ins for the month of January, a 60 per cent jump over last year.

kslavin@saanichnews.com