Rise in pick-up truck thefts in Trois-Rivieres

Ford F-150 trucks are popular not only by residents, but also by thieves, since two of these vehicles were stolen in Trois-Rivieres over the weekend of August 7.

Criminals are conservative and meticulous. They left no trace of theft, only a nasty surprise to the owners in the morning.

“I was wondering where he was [le véhicule]. Is it a bad joke that they played on me,” explained one of the victims of the robberies, Michel Lutarte. His keys were still in his house and his car indicated that it was still locked.

The other victim, who was not far from the first, saw only his car driving out of her driveway, around 4:40 a.m. Then the police were contacted by citizens.

These criminals were not only detained in Trois-Rivieres. According to Trois-Rivieres Police Public Relations Sergeant, Luc Mongrain, this is a national trend.

“After the verifications, we realized that all Quebec cities were subject to this type of theft,” said Mr. Mongrain.

The sergeant also reported that he was aware that some of these stolen vehicles had been found in the port of Montreal, ready for shipment overseas.

Everyone agrees that the demand for the Ford F-150 is much greater than the supply, which could lead to the car being targeted by thieves.

So it will be difficult to get this type of pickup before 2022 due to delays from manufacturers, according to the director of the Ford dealership in Trois-Rivieres, Charlene Gauthier.

A frustrating situation, according to Michel Lotarty, because not only the car was stolen, but all its contents, personal belongings and trailer. It is the time that victims should invest to make things right.

“I spent the whole day at The Merchant,” Liarte said.

“We won’t be camping this summer,” Julie Cleary said.

Merchants protect themselves

In Trois-Rivières, a Ford dealer has outfitted himself with a new security system to confront criminals after several attempted robberies and vandalism have already occurred on the premises.

The manager confirmed that the surveillance cameras covering the entire yard are working 24 hours a day, and it is forbidden to enter the yard outside the merchant’s working hours, adding that someone from a third party monitors and communicates with intruders.

We have no choice because of the increase in thefts. The person from the offshore company asks the person to leave and return during business hours. If the person refuses, unfortunately, the company contacts the police.

To prevent car theft, Trois-Rivieres police offered some tips on their Facebook page, including parking the car in a garage or in a well-lit place.