Delta police are warning the public after a recent increase in vehicle battery thefts.
The department had sent out previous warnings about thefts of batteries from commercial vehicles, however, as residents start taking advantage of nicer weather, thieves are now also targeting boats, trailers and other recreational vehicles.
"Thieves steal the batteries for their lead and metal content as they can fetch between $10 and $30 per battery at recycling businesses," said Sgt. Sarah Swallow.
"Currently, there are not the same identification requirements for those recycling batteries as there are when recycling scrap metal." Batteries do not usually come with a serial number or identifying mark, making it difficult for police to identify them as stolen.
"While the batteries can be seized, criminal charges and the return of stolen property to its rightful owner can be difficult," Swallow said.
The department has a number of tips to help residents protect their property: Mark or engrave batteries with your name or an identifying number. That way, when police recover the batteries they can be easily identified as being stolen and they can be returned to the rightful owner.
Remove batteries from equipment at night. While time consuming in the moment, the financial cost of replacing stolen batteries often impacts you much further beyond the replacement cost of the battery itself.
If your house has an alarm, use it. While alarms never completely deter thieves, they can shorten the time in which a thief is at your house and prevent loss. They can make your house a less attractive target.
Secure equipment in such a way the battery compartments are not easily accessible or are locked.
Install good lighting on sensors. Thieves love darkness and lights on sensors will make the thief or suspicious behaviour easier to spot.
