Don’t Be An Easy Target contest aimed at soaring vehicle break-ins in Kelowna

CONTEST OFFERS $50 GIFT CERTIFICATES AS PRIZES

KELOWNA – Local RCMP will be handing out postcards this summer at various local events, but they won’t have Ogopgo on them.

Instead, the cards will feature a cling decal for the Don’t Be An Easy Target campaign, an anti-crime initiative aimed at reducing break-ins and theft from vehicles.

The hope is would-be thieves start to recognize the decal and what it means.

Community policing coordinator Colleen Cornock says in a report to council the message is the vehicle is “all locked up and there’s nothing to take.”

Meant to be placed inside the driver’s window, it will also remind drivers to remove valuables from their vehicles when unattended.

Kelowna RCMP say the have recorded a 50 per cent increase in thefts from vehicles from January to the end of June this year, as compared to the same period last year.

By posting a picture of the decal to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #Kelowna or #dontbeaneasytarget, participants will be entered into a contest to win a $50 gift certificate for a local restaurant or retailer. The contest will be drawn bi-weekly until fall, the report says.

Contest winners must collect their prize at the Kelowna RCMP detachment, along with a letter of appreciation from the officer in charge.

To contact a reporter for this story, email John McDonald or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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