Regina auto thefts up 91% last month

Car thieves were busy in Regina last month, new statistics from the police department show.

According to a monthly crime report going to the Regina Board of Police Commissioners on Wednesday, there were 80 motor vehicle thefts in January, compared to 42 in January 2015.

That's a 91 per cent increase.

The Regina Police Service says in the report it's "paying constant attention to this issue". The city has a stolen auto strategy that includes extra supervision of previous offenders.

While violent crimes were down about 6 per cent last month (comparing January 2016 to January 2015), property crimes were up about 23 per cent for the same period.