Timmins police say 'Lock It or Lose It' amidst an uptick in petty theft

Timmins -

The winter season typically comes with an uptick in vehicle break-ins, according to the Timmins Police Service.

Which is why police officials are reminding drivers to lock their doors, even if they plan to be away from their vehicle for a short time.

"Shoppers are out more commonly and their treasures are left in the car, wallets are left behind," said Timmins police communications coordinator Marc Depatie of situations that can tempt would-be thieves.

"Nothing sends a stronger message than a locked door. Police can't be everywhere at once, that's just not physically possible, so the community has to do what they can to harden the target."

Police also advise people to deactivate the tap feature on their debit and credit cards.

While convenient and while many carriers have fraud protection, criminals can potentially get away with a shopping spree at the card owner's expense.