Minivans top list of Calgary's most stolen vehicles

Older minivans are the most popular target for thieves in Calgary, and police say that's the owners' fault.

The Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan models from 1991 to 1995 top the list of stolen vehicles in the city, said Calgary police Sgt. Tim Shannon Friday.

Shannon said most thieves in Calgary steal vehicles for transportation, rather than to strip them for parts, and they usually drive away with vehicles that are left unlocked with the engine running.

Nationally, 1999 and 2000 Honda Civics are the most-targeted vehicles, according to a new list released by the Insurance Bureau of Canada this week.

Spokesman Richard Dubin said the older Civics are sporty and easy to steal, but minivans have also moved into the top 10.

Thieves will steal about 6,600 vehicles in Calgary by the end of this year, an increase of 10 per cent from last year, said Shannon.

Meanwhile, police were kept busy with three unrelated vehicle thefts in two hours downtown on Thursday.

A stolen Toyota SUV hit a police car near 14th Street and 17th Avenue Southwest as it made its getaway.

In another incident, an officer rammed his cruiser into a stolen Honda Civic in an unsuccessful bid to prevent it from fleeing the Lower Mount Royal area.

In the third case, police arrested three people near city hall in a stolen Volkswagen Jetta linked to a possible assault with a weapon.