Regina's typical auto-thief has changed from a joyriding teen to an adult with addictions

Teenagers used to be the biggest challenge for the Regina Police Service when it came to auto-thefts.

That was in the early 2000s, when the city led the country in stolen vehicles. Regina police developed a strategy to work with the at-risk youth and decrease the numbers.

The portrait of a typical auto-thief has evolved during the last two decades, from youth dealing with peer pressure or a lack of positive role models, to adults struggling with addictions and violence.

"More and more, the offenders are motivated by drugs or as part of a larger criminal activity such as other thefts, assaults or robberies," said a report presented to Regina's Board of Police Commissioners.

Regina Police Service Chief Evan Bray said there's no question meth has caused a spike in crime throughout the city, including auto-thefts.

Police are working to revamp their Auto Theft Strategy to target the new demographic, rather than use the same one that dealt with "underage teenage children," Bray said. 

The Stolen Auto Unit arrests three or four "often violent" offenders on average in a seven day period, Bray said.

He said police are acknowledging that current challenges can't be solved through law enforcement or corrections alone. He wants to focus on prevention, which is sometimes considered challenging when it comes to property crime.

"If there isn't strict attention that's being paid here this person is just going to circle back and they're going to be back involved with the police again," he said.

The police service will be looking to collaborate with community based organizations and government agencies "to try and help some of these people that are sick with addiction."

An evaluation report in 2002 found that the Regina Auto Theft Strategy was "effective." Now police hope to have the same impact, but note the service will require more resources and community support. 

The police service is in talks with corrections about establishing an "Offender Management Unit" that staffs more than police officers.

That unit is likely still at least a year away. For now, police say "prolific offenders" will be dealt with by police through address checks, door knocks, contact interviews, court appearances and curfew checks.

Meth a citywide challenge: police chief 

Bray said crystal meth is posing a challenge in Regina, as it is across the country. The manufactured drug is readily available.

"It's easy to make. It's easy to access. It's relatively inexpensive. It has long lasting effects," he said. "Those people that are addicted to it are looking for more all the time and so it's just becoming a bit of a vicious cycle."

He said it can sometimes escalate into a safety issue, as paranoid, hyper-vigilant or violent offenders become tangled with the community.

Bray also noted crystal meth addiction is not contained to one part of the city, nor is it limited to one's social status. 

"We have people that are anything from business people to students. They're professionals. They're unemployed. There are a variety of different walks of life," he said.