The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is focusing on prevention when it comes to a rise in the number of vehicle thefts across the country.

A national summit was held in Ottawa last week to look at ways of tackling the problem.

RNC Constable James Cadigan says while he doesn’t have any specific numbers, vehicle thefts have been fluctuating over the last two years.

Cadigan says they haven’t seen many instances of vehicles being stolen so that they can be re-sold, though he doesn’t rule it out.

He says many thieves are stealing vehicles to use in other crimes, such as robberies, and in many cases it comes down to crimes of opportunity.

He says they see a lot of instances where key fobs are left inside vehicles, or indoors near entranceways, making it easy for criminals to gain access.