There has been an increase in vehicle thefts and thefts from vehicles in Saint John.

It has prompted city police to issue a reminder to help residents keep their belongings safe.

Residents have reported 27 thefts from vehicles over the past month, up from eight during the same time last year.

Police have received 20 stolen vehicle reports, compared to 17 during the same period last year.

Six of those vehicles were still missing as of Tuesday, according to police, including:

• red 2009 Mazda 3 hatchback (JMH-297) stolen from Summer Street
• blue 2010 Ford Ranger (CUZ-506) stolen from Sandy Point Road
• grey 2022 Toyota Corolla (KAY-017) stolen from Hickey Road
• grey 2016 Honda Odyssey (JNL-391) stolen from Bayview Drive
• silver 2010 Nissan Sentra (JKK-962) stolen from McLaughlin Crescent
• black 2016 Hyundai Veloster (JLE-718) stolen from Duke Street South

Police said there are things you can do to protect yourself and your property, such as locking your vehicle, not leaving your keys inside, and keeping valuables out of site.

You should also park in well-lit areas if possible to deter potential thieves and report any suspicious activity to police at 506-648-3333.