Newer communities at risk higher risk for vehicle-related thefts, says Calgary police

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal News Newer communities at risk higher risk for vehicle-related thefts, says Calgary police Livingston, Carrington and Cityscape communities top list for growing number of vehicle theft Author of the article: By Daniel Gonzalez Published Sep 24, 2026 4 minute read Join the conversation The new community of Livingston in northwest Calgary on January 21, 2026 had the highest number of vehicle-related thefts in 2025. Gavin Young/Postmedia Article content Calgarians living in newer communities are advised to keep their vehicles secure as they are the most at-risk of theft-related incidents according to data by Calgary police. Article content Theft of vehicles and theft from vehicles have experienced a 26 per cent drop over a five year average, with 7,748 incidents so far in 2026. Article content Article content Despite the decline, auto theft has become a huge problem Canada-wide, said Sgt. Matt Hill with the Calgary Police Service Auto Theft team. Article content Article content Hill’s team is responsible for dealing with prolific vehicle thieves, while vehicle prowlers are handled by patrol officers. Article content Noon News Roundup Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Livingston, Carrington and Cityscape had the highest number of vehicle-related thefts in 2025. Those three communities combined had 85 thefts from vehicles and 61 stolen vehicles, up from 43 thefts from vehicles and 54 vehicles stolen in 2024. In Livingston the numbers are more than double that of the city-wide five-year average. Article content This increase can be attributed to these areas being new communities, Hill said. Article content “You see lots of new home builds, trades (and) people moving in who don’t know their neighbors, so it makes it very easy for people to just blend in,” he said. “A vehicle that doesn’t belong, doesn’t stand out in a new community, because everybody’s new, and there’s this construction going on from 6 a.m. until midnight.” Article content Older vehicles from the early to mid-2000s are the most at risk of these crimes, since they are easier to access, but criminals are beginning to exploit technology found in…