Crime
EPS launches campaign to help curb vehicle thefts and smash and grabs
Your community is a HotSpot!
EPS launches new public awareness campaign to help curb Theft of and Theft from Vehicles
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is launching a new campaign today to alert residents that the community they live or work in, is a Hot Spot for theft from and theft of vehicles.
“These two crimes continue to be on the rise year after year and we need all communities to be more vigilant about protecting and securing their vehicles,” says Sgt. Smith of West Division Crime Management Team. “Dealing with the aftermath of having your car broken into or stolen, is much worse than making the extra effort to protect your property.”
Nine neighbourhoods in Edmonton will notice large signs by roadways, alerting them that their neighbourhood is a Hot Spot. The campaign focuses on one community in each of the six EPS Divisions.
“These communities historically have had the most theft-from and theft-of vehicles when we analyzed the data from the last five years,” says Sgt. Smith.
The EPS compared statistics from Jan. 1, 2019 to Nov. 30, 2019, which correlated with the statistics over the last five years. The Hot Spot communities include:
| Theft of Vehicle | Theft from Vehicle |
| Downtown Core (78) | Downtown Core (378) |
| Belvedere (68) | Garneau (188) |
| Alberta Avenue (67) | Alberta Avenue (128) |
| Strathcona (41) | Westmount (75) |
| Summerside (35) | Killarney (68) |
| Inglewood (34) | Summerside (56) |
There have been some occurrences of thefts involving vehicles with a smart key that have been left running, unattended and with key removed. Owners of these vehicles may be unaware that the vehicle may not lock due to a safety override feature in some manufacturers and assume incorrectly that the vehicle will not be able to be driven away.
“It appears that storage of these fobs within vehicles is often an issue. It is very easy to try the vehicle ignition button to see if the vehicle responds, even if no key is visible, in hopes that the vehicle will engage due to a hidden fob,” says Sgt. Smith.
There are many thefts where it’s unknown how a vehicle was broken into. Malls, parking lots and parkades continue to be primary targets for criminals.
“Parking lots and parkades are targets because they are often left unattended with poor lighting thus increasing the chances that thieves will go undetected,” says Sgt. Smith.
Other Theft of Vehicle and Theft from Vehicle Stats:
- City wide, between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, 2019, a total of 3,638 vehicles were stolen in Edmonton; and 7,302 thefts from vehicles also occurred.
- The number of reported thefts from vehicles in the city has increased by 97 per cent since 2013, which had 3,701 reported incidents.
- Year to date, 2019 has had the highest number of thefts from vehicles, since 2013
- Southwest and Downtown Divisions have seen the largest increases this year.
- For theft of vehicle, there were 700 incidents reported to police just between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31 of this year; 54 of those stolen vehicles were left running with a key inside and 76 had the key or a spare key left in the car.
Tips to prevent theft of and from vehicles:
Do not leave your vehicle running – Under no circumstances should you leave your vehicle unattended while running with the key in the ignition. NOTE: Remote car starters are not a problem; they are designed to shut off if attempts are made to steal the vehicle.
No Spare Keys – Do not leave a spare key hidden in the vehicle. Thieves look for spare keys, and once they break into your vehicle, they know all the hiding spots. You can get a spare key holder for your wallet or purse.
Lock Up Your Vehicle – Always check that the doors, windows, and sun roof are shut and locked when you park your vehicle. Leave your vehicle in a locked garage where possible. Lock your vehicle even when it is in a locked garage.
Be aware of where you park – park in parking lots that have more than one of the following:
- Security cameras
- Security patrolling the parking lot
- Someone working at an entrance/exit booth
- A gated parking lot that needs a pass to get in and out
- Well lit
- A busy parking lot with lots of people coming and going or an area where there are lots of vehicles or pedestrians passing by
Treat Your Keys Like Cash – Don’t leave keys in places where they are easy to steal, such as a gym locker, on your desk at work, visible in an open purse or unattended in a shopping cart. Thieves will grab and go, then head out to the parking lot and push the button on your key fob until they find your car.
Use a Steering Wheel Locking Device (e.g. The Club) – A well-secured car will deter thieves. There are other devices available to consumers to stop thieves from easily stealing your vehicle. See your local automotive stores for details.
Do not leave items in your vehicle – Thieves can be attracted to your car because personal items are left in plain sight. Never leave anything in your vehicle, including loose change, cell phones, CDs, cameras, clothing, sunglasses, cigarettes, lighters, and any other items.
Install a Remote Car Starter – Remote starters are designed to shut off if anyone attempts to drive the vehicle without a key. This will allow you to warm up your car without risk of theft.
Don’t leave a spare key fob in your vehicle- This prevents thieves from breaking into your car to see if it can be started and driven away.
Ensure safe storage of Smart Keys/Keyless ignition fobs: Store smart keys away from the vehicle and doors. Consider investing in a “Faraday bag” to enhance security of the wireless communication system of the vehicle.
To report theft from auto under $5,000 please go to https://www.edmontonpolice.ca/ContactEPS/OnlinePropertyCrime. To report a non-emergency, call the EPS non-emergency line at 780-421-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. For all crimes in progress, call 911.
Courageous Discourse
No Exit Wound – EITHER there was a very public “miracle” OR Charlie Kirk’s murder is not as it appears
By John Leake
Turning Point Spokesman: “No Exit Wound a Miracle”
Charlie Kirk Show producer Andrew Kolvet repeats extremely dubious claim purportedly made by “the surgeon who operated on Kirk.”
Monday Blaze Media (relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey) reported the following:
Turning Point USA spokesman and executive producer of the “Charlie Kirk Show” Andrew Kolvet revealed new details about the shooting that even doctors are calling a miracle. According to Kolvet, the surgeon who operated on Kirk claimed that the high-velocity bullet was powerful enough to kill multiple large animals — and “should have gone through” his body. But for some reason, Kirk’s body was able to stop it.
“I want to address some of the discussion about the lack of an exit wound with Charlie,” Kolvet wrote in a post on X.
“The fact that there wasn’t an exit wound is probably another miracle, and I want people to know,” Kolvet continued, explaining that he had spoken with the surgeon who worked on Charlie in the hospital.
“He said the bullet ‘absolutely should have gone through, which is very very normal for a high powered, high velocity round. I’ve seen wounds from this caliber many times and they always just go through everything. This would have taken a moose or two down, an elk, etc,’” he recalled.
“But it didn’t go through. Charlie’s body stopped it,” he added.
When he mentioned to the doctor that there were “dozens of staff, students, and special guests standing directly behind Charlie” when he was shot, the doctor reportedly replied, “It was an absolute miracle that someone else didn’t get killed.”
“His bone was so healthy and the density was so so impressive that he’s like the man of steel,” Kolvet recalls the doctor saying.
This is not a credible statement, and it raises a number of concerns.
It strikes me as very perplexing that a “surgeon operated on Kirk,” because in the video of the shooting, Charlie reacted with a decorticate posture—that is, an abnormal body posture characterized by flexion of the upper limbs—caused by severe trauma to the central nervous system. This indicates that the bullet either directly struck his cervical spinal cord, or the shock wave of the supersonic bullet passing near his spinal cord traumatized it.
A 150-grain, .30-06 bullet’s energy at 150 yards from the muzzle varies by ammunition, but a common hunting cartridge has an estimated value of approximately 1,800-2,000 foot-pounds (with the bullet traveling at about 2500 feet per second). In other words, the .30 caliber (.30 inch diameter) metal projectile struck his neck with sufficient kinetic energy to move a 2,000 pound mass a linear distance of one foot.
If the bullet that struck Charlie’s cervical spinal cord was a .30-06 fired from 150 yards away, it would have:
1). Severed his spinal cord, killing him instantly.
2). Passed through his neck.
Note that the cervical vertebrae are supported by strong muscles and have high compressive strength, but are far too delicate to stop a .30-06 bullet traveling at 2,500 feet per second.
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If ALL of the kinetic energy of the bullet was absorbed by Charlie’s neck, it would have done spectacular trauma to his neck, as distinct from producing the clean bullet hole visible in the video footage that ruptured his Carotid artery.
Though I appreciate that some may find a supernatural explanation to be consoling, it seems to me that the investigation should not rest on the this explanation.
As I wrote a few weeks ago: If I were investigating the murder, I would consider the hypothesis that Charlie was shot with a weapon equipped with a suppressor and loaded with a subsonic cartridge to further reduce the sound. I have seen footage of someone firing a rifle with this setup, and the shot was amazingly quiet. The effective range of such a weapon is about 100 yards or less, and the shooter must be very skilled.
However, such a setup could fire a subsonic projectile that would penetrate a human neck without passing through it. In this scenario, the actual assassin (firing the suppressed rifle) hypothetically coordinated the timing of his shot with someone else firing a normal (supersonic and loud) rifle cartridge into the air at the same time to create a distraction or red herring.
In a functioning society in which the people trust their authorities—including their medical examiners—it would be easy to discover what happened and to disclose at least a preliminary report that would satisfy most reasonable people. The trouble our Republic is facing now is that so many of us no longer trust our federal and state authorities to tell us the truth.
For example, we have strong grounds for suspecting that medical examiners are not diligently investigating (with the proper analytic methods) unexpected, fatal cardiac arrests in young people to determine if they were caused by vaccine-induced myocarditis.
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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released new Leger polling showing that half of Quebecers say the most effective way to reduce gun crime is to crack down on illegal gun smuggling from the United States, not a federal gun ban and confiscation.
“Law enforcement experts say the best way to make Canada safer is to stop illegal gun smuggling and Quebecers say exactly the same thing,” said Nicolas Gagnon, CTF Quebec Director. “It makes no sense to pour hundreds of millions into a confiscation that only takes guns from lawfully licensed gun owners.”
In 2020, the federal government launched its policy to confiscate thousands of so-called “assault-style” firearms from licensed gun owners. Ottawa recently announced a pilot project in Cape Breton to start taking firearms from individual owners.
The Leger poll asked Quebecers what they think is the most effective way to reduce gun crime. Results of the poll show:
- 51 per cent say introducing tougher measures to stop the illegal smuggling of guns into Canada from the United States
- 37 per cent say banning the sale and ownership of many different makes and models of guns along with a government buyback program
- Six per cent say neither of these options
- Seven per cent do not know
The results of the polls arrived as recorded remarks from Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree made headlines in September.
In a leaked audio recording, the minister suggested the confiscation program is being pushed in part because of voters in Quebec, while also expressing doubt that local police services have the resources to enforce it.
Police organizations have long warned Ottawa’s confiscation program is misguided. The RCMP union says it “diverts extremely important personnel, resources, and funding away from addressing the more immediate and growing threat of criminal use of illegal firearms.”
The program was first estimated to cost $200 million. Just providing compensation for the banned guns, not including administrative costs, could cost up to $756 million, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
Premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan have both publicly said that they would not cooperate with Ottawa’s gun ban. Premier François Legault has stayed silent on this issue.
“Quebecers have been clear: the real problem is illegal gun smuggling, not law-abiding firearms owners,” said Gagnon. “The police have also made it clear the gun confiscation will waste money that could be used to stop criminals from committing gun crimes.
“Legault needs to stand up for Quebec taxpayers and refuse to help implement Ottawa’s costly and ineffective confiscation scheme. The federal government needs to drop this plan and focus its resources on intercepting illegal guns at the border: that’s how you actually make communities safer.”
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