LCSD
| Sheriff Jay Koon |

You’re running errands, bringing in groceries, heading back in the house to grab something—whatever the reason, you’ve left your car unlocked. Maybe you left a set of spare keys in the glove compartment as a backup. I get it, you’re busy and you shouldn’t have to lock your vehicle because it’s on your property. It’s understandable.

However, we see quite a few car break-ins that are successful because the thief pulled on the handle. Just this weekend, in West Region alone, we had 26 motor vehicle break-ins, all of them were left unlocked. Four were stolen because keys were left inside. Valuables were taken.

Friends, the best deterrent to car break-ins is currently locking your vehicle. Please remove all valuables, especially your firearms. Your car is not a mobile gun safe.

Don’t make it easy for the criminals. Park under lights. Check your vehicles for electronics, money, etc. Roll up your windows. Take your spare keys. Don’t leave personal/identifiable documents inside. Lock your doors.

Yes, thieves break windows too. It’s true. But, in 2019—of all the auto break-ins that we investigated, 85% were left unlocked.

You can take steps to stop thieves. If you’re prone to forgetting to lock it, leave yourself reminders; on the nightstand, on the fridge, on your phone alarm.

Thieves are looking for easy targets, please don’t make yourself one of them.