Some residents in Riverdale have noticed an increase in crime since spring descended on the city.

Temam Himour and her husband, Jordon Patterson, were two of many victims of vehicle theft and vandalism last week.

Last Friday, Patterson's work truck for his flooring company, JWP Flooring Services, was stolen from their condo parking lot in Riverdale, vandalized and abandoned in a wooded area.

Some of Patterson's most valuable tools were also taken, as were his insurance and registration papers.

On Saturday afternoon, Patterson received a call from a woman who discovered the truck while walking her dog and found his work number on a tool box.

Sgt. Don Rogers, the media relations officer for the Whitehorse RCMP, said in an interview today an escalation in crime during the spring is logical.

"Spring comes in and people get more and more active and crime becomes easier to do because there aren't all the barriers with the temperature and the snow,” he said.

While there isn't a specific springtime strategy to counteract boosts in crime, Rogers said, "We try to be aware of any trends that are developing, we use a criminal analyst that we have on staff to determine if there's a specific trend emerging, and if there are, then we'll sit down and try to develop strategies around those trends.”

If it's an increase in crimes that were already occurring, Rogers said, that could be attributed to the change in weather.

He offers some basic advice for residents looking to prevent crime.

Never leave your keys in your vehicle, lock it, park in well-lit areas, and don't leave bikes in the front yard, he advises.

"The majority of things that are stolen, isn't because thieves are out there doing fantastic, sophisticated work and working at stealing things; they're crimes of opportunity,” said Rogers.

Himour told the Star Monday she knows stolen vehicles are a common occurrence. But, like everybody else, she's tired of it, and is unwilling to accept it as a spring time crime spike.

"For me and my neighbours, it's become an epidemic in our area, in Riverdale, and we're just so tired of it,” she said. "I'm frustrated.”

A Neighbourhood Watch program is something she'd like to see developed in Riverdale.