Auto theft is on the rise in Alberta and Calgary police and the AMA are partnering to promote a campaign that is aimed at educating drivers about prevention.

According to Statistics Canada’s Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 29 percent of all vehicle thefts in Canada happen in Alberta.

The report shows that about 62 vehicles are stolen in the province every day, which is more than three times the national average,

‘Lock it or Lose it’ suggests simple steps drivers can take to prevent auto theft including; locking vehicles and removing keys and valuables.

“One of the most interesting aspects is that nobody would ever be willing to leave a duffle bag full of 40 to 50 thousand dollars unattended in a parking lot. That is a crazy concept to any of us and we absolutely get that however, that is what our vehicle represents. It is an investment of near that magnitude and yet we are finding so many circumstances where vehicles are being left unlocked or left idling, which is really just a welcome mat and so we need to think of it in that context,” said Jeff Kasbrick, vice president of government and stakeholder relations at the AMA.

Officials say leaving keys in the ignition and doors unlocked makes it easy for thieves and Calgary police reported more than 5700 stolen vehicles in 2016.

“I think our officers are frustrated because, like I said earlier, a quarter of the thefts are very easily preventable by just locking your vehicle and keeping your keys in a safe place. I understand that the message is the same over and over again but we hope that by keeping consistent with this message that we will have an impact on people’s decision making when it comes to leaving their vehicles unlocked or their vehicles running,” said Inspector Joe Brar of the Calgary Police Service Investigative Operations Section.

Thefts from vehicles are also a problem and Calgary police say over 13,000 incidents were reported to them last year.

People are being asked to share their experiences using the hashtag #lockitorloseit.

For more information on the Lock It or Lose It campaign, click HERE.