Thursday, April 1, 2010

Don't leave valuable items in your car

We have said it many times, but it needs to be said again: do not leave items of value in your vehicle. I listened to commanders from the North Patrol Division yesterday describe how they're continuing to have problems with thefts of GPS units and purses from cars, and it's not just happening in North Patrol. It's everywhere.

People tend to mount a GPS on their car dash and forget about it. Don't. Take it inside with you, especially when you get home at night. Ditto with purses. The North Patrol crime analyst said many have been taken out of cars from residents' own driveways in the middle of the night by thieves who break out cars' windows. They then use the credit cards in the purses right away because they know the card will be deactivated as soon as the victim wakes up and discovers what happened. We've also seen this happen in purses stolen from shopping centers and gyms. Thieves use the credit cards they steal while victims are still shopping or working out. Victims then return to their cars only to find a busted window and stolen valuables.

Please don't be a victim. Do not leave items of value in your vehicle, and you'll be doing a lot to protect yourself and your money.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org