Vancouver police and ICBC are offering free steering wheel locks to owners of the top 10 most stolen vehicle models in the city, in an effort to cut down on property crime.

Police say the locks are being issued after they noticed a recent increase in the number of stolen vehicles, which are often used to commit other property crimes.

Over the past five years the number of stolen vehicles has declined by more than 50 per cent, said a statement issued by VPD on Thursday.

"However, there was a noticeable change last year when the number of stolen vehicles increased by 6.7 per cent over the previous year," said the statement.

"Specifically, the rise was driven by an increase in the number of trucks and vans stolen," said the statement.

Top 10 stolen vehicles in Vancouver:

Honda Civic (Pre-2000) Ford F150, F250, F350 trucks (Pre-1999 F150; Pre-2007 F250 / F350) Honda Accord (Pre-1998) Dodge / Plymouth / Chrysler minivan (1991-2000) Jeep Cherokee (1993-1999) Ford Econoline Van (2000-2007) Toyota Corolla (1990-2004) Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra trucks (1992-2006) Acura Integra (1990-2001) Toyota Camry / Solara (1989-1999

Vancouver residents who own any of the qualifying vehicles can collect their locks by bringing their vehicle registration papers to a VPD public information counter at the following locations:

2120 Cambie Street. Open Daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3585 Graveley Street. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A number of Vancouver community policing offices are also distributing the locks to qualifying vehicle owners.