The Altona Police Service is highlighting several tips on how to protect your valuables following a pair of recent snowmobile thefts in the community,

According to Police Chief Perry Batchelor, the first thing people should do is insure and register their recreational vehicles.

Second, he suggests locking up those valuables by hitching them or the corresponding trailers to an immovable object on your yard. If you are storing your recreational vehicles on a trailer, he suggests locking the trailer to the tow vehicle, turning the trailer away from the exit point on your property, or installing a coupler lock on the trailer. Batchelor explained these measures will help deter thieves from pulling up to your yard and hooking up to the unit before quickly taking off.

Additional tips include:
- parking your vehicles in well-lit areas with lots of pedestrian traffic
- marking your sled with an identification number such as engraving your driver's license number in an inconspicuous place
- consider disabling the sled when it is not being used
- installing anti-theft or GPS devices
- and never leave your vehicle running and unattended.

Owners are also encouraged to record all identifying information of their vehicle(s) that can be used to identify the property in the event it is stolen.

Batchelor added it is also crucial for people to report suspicious activity as it is happening, whether it's on your property or your neighbour's.

"We hope that people maybe consider using one or two or all of (these tips)," he said.

Batcher noted until recently it has been a number of years since snowmobiles were stolen out of Altona, and admitted he has no idea what motivated the two incidents last week other than it appears to be a great riding season and perhaps that has spurred demand/interest.