GUELPH -- Thieves are targeting car dealerships in Guelph, but they're not making off with the vehicles themselves.
Tens of thousands of dollars-worth of tires are being stolen from lots overnight, sometimes right off the vehicles that are parked there, rims and all.
Multiple dealerships in the area of Woodlawn and Elmira roads say they've been hit in recent weeks.
One of them says it's been hit three times this year.
"They are taking them right from our lot. Coming in the middle of the night jacking up the vehicle, putting blocks underneath them and taking the tires away," says service manager Rob Nicklasson at Robinson Buick GMC.
The dealership is now dealing with the inconvenience, not to mention the costs.
Nicklasson says that a set of brand new tires on rims for a truck can cost $6,000.
Their dealership isn't the only one being targeted, either: police say another dealership in the area had $12,000 worth of tires taken from a storage truck.
"A lot of times thefts are kind of crimes of opportunity, so criminals are seeing opportunity to complete this type of crime and they have been doing it, unfortunately, more and more lately," says Const. Kyle Grand with the Guelph Police Service.
He says that dealerships should take extra security measures, like installing surveillance cameras, gating their compounds or having night security.
Robinson Buick GMC says they do have cameras, but either way, Nicklasson says that it shouldn't be happening regardless.
"Somebody steals something you own, that's not right, it's just not right," he says.
He says that without tires, they can't do what they do best: sell cars.
Guelph police say they are investigating these incidents and are asking anyone with information to contact them.
