IG news Update,
Kitchener resident Laura Dyer didn’t know she was driving without a license plate until a neighbor told her it was gone.
When she stopped to check on Tuesday, Dyer said she noticed that the front license plate of her son’s vehicle was also missing.
“I went inside and told my husband ‘someone stole our license plate’,” Dyer told CTV News.
Dyer said the tenant on her second floor took the plates from her vehicle. A nearby neighbor also confirmed to CTV News that plates had been taken from two vehicles on his driveway, bringing the total number stolen to at least five.
“That’s all we know in this area,” Dyer said. “How many other residents are missing plates?”
According to Dyer, the thief only targeted the end of the vehicle facing away from the road, leaving the license plate visible in plain sight.
In a statement to CTV News, the Waterloo Regional Police said:
“Criminals target license plates from vehicles parked in lots and driveways and often attach them to stolen vehicles to avoid detection and capture by police. Vehicle owners and drivers are told to Check your license plates frequently and consider using anti-theft devices such as anti-theft license plate screws to deter thieves.
Anti-theft kits can be purchased to replace the original screws and bolts holding your license plate in place with non-tamper screws that cannot be removed by normal tools.
“It’s just a different tool that’s harder to get the nuts and bolts off,” said Chris Tsegas, owner of Fowler Tire.
Tsegas said the kit isn’t guaranteed to keep license plates from being stolen, but may deter thieves from targeting your vehicle.
Dyer said he paid $59 to the Ministry of Transport to replace his stolen plate, but was afraid to replace the one that was stolen could lead to the same offense again.