Two vehicle thefts and three vehicles being rummaged through were reported to Columba Valley RCMP and one man was arrested in one day last week.
At 1:40 a.m on Monday, May 16th, police received a report of a GMC Sierra pickup truck stolen from a residence on 9th Street in Invermere.
Police officials said officers were sent to the area and found the truck abandoned nearby.
Shortly after, an officer saw a suspicious vehicle on Black Forest Trail. The driver fled into a residential neighbourhood after the officer attempted to stop him.
RCMP said the officer later saw a man on foot and, upon speaking to him, saw a keychain hanging from his pocket that matched the set of keys from the stolen GMC Sierra.
The man from Calgary was arrested for possession of stolen property.
Later that same morning, Columbia Valley RCMP said a report was called in that a black 2019 Ford F150 was stolen from Hill Top Road in Windermere. It was last seen with Alberta license plate C-J-T-7-6-1-8 and has yet to be recovered.
Later in the evening, three vehicles were reportedly rummaged through.
“Generally, when the Columbia Valley experiences a rash of thefts from vehicles, the Detachment receives significantly more reports of theft so it is likely the arrest of the male earlier in the morning prevented more thefts from occurring,” said Columbia Valley RCMP.
Police said this shows how the timely reporting of suspicious activity can prevent more crimes from happening.