CKUA

[johnlw]

Calgary cowboys losing their rides

Canwest News Service

Saturday, February 09, 2008

CALGARY -- Thieves are having a heyday with Calgary's pickup truck culture, stealing Ford 250 and 350 trucks at an alarming rate, police say.

And the urban cowboys are only helping the truck thieves -- about 40 per cent of the stolen vehicles recovered by police are found with the keys still inside.

In Calgary, the numbers of stolen Ford 250 and 350 have jumped from 11 in November to 29 in December and 51 in January.

A dozen recovered trucks sat in the police impound yard earlier this week. Many were found damaged from reckless joyrides. Police say they're worried someone will be hurt.

"It's a very large vehicle and could do a huge amount of damage," said Sgt. Patrick Webb, a spokesman for the RCMP.

The trucks are also a choice target of break-and-enter artists, who can fill them up with stolen goods before speeding off, he said.

Calgary Herald