Edmonton police are looking for the owners of stolen electronic items connected to a recent spike in thefts from vehicles in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder.

Police recovered a backpack near 130th Avenue and 114th Street containing a black-handled hatchet, three GPS units, four car stereo faceplates, and a digital book reader.

Police believe the items are connected to thefts from vehicles in Calder earlier this month.

While eight thefts were reported, nearly double the monthly average for the area, police believe there are other victims.

“Sometimes victims of property crimes are reluctant to report the incidents,” said Sgt. Jared Buhler in a media release. “They may be embarrassed they left their vehicle unlocked, don’t want to be inconvenienced filing reports or insurance claims, or think it’s not important enough for police to investigate.

"However, reporting incidents helps us to detect criminals who are active in the area and prevent other similar crimes.”

Buhler said up to half of reported theft from vehicles are from unlocked cars.

"On average, one in every seven cars is unlocked, so thieves gather whatever they can with little or no effort,” he said.

Victims of the thefts can call police at 780-391-6100.