From Carolyn Seitz, the Sheriff's Department has provided the following information as a reminder about how to prevent burglaries from your vehicles:
Help to prevent vehicle burglaries:
1. Don't leave valuables in your car.
2. If you must leave valuable items in your car while out and about, place items out of sight.
3. Never open a trunk, fill it full of valuables, close it, and then just walk away.
4. Once home, unload your valuables immediately. Do not store valuables in your car any longer than necessary, and definitely never overnight.
5. Leave no trace. Don't leave any sign that there might be valuables out of sight in your vehicle, such as docking stations or connector cables.
6. Very few auto break-ins are random - thieves see something in plain sight that is valuable, or hints of possible hidden valuables.
7. Try to park in busy, well-lighted areas.
8. Lock all your vehicle's doors even if you plan to be gone for only a brief time. It only takes seconds to steal your stuff! It's not at all uncommon for thieves to walk down a row of parked vehicles and check car doors to see if they are unlocked. Don't leave any window open or even cracked open, including vent/wing windows and sunroofs.
9. As soon as you notice something's stolen (or that your car has been broken into) do not touch/adjust anything in, on, or around the car. As soon as possible, call the police to report the incident and if possible, to have fingerprints taken.
10. Do not confront anyone. Property can be replaced! Be alert, be aware, and be prepared to be a good witness.
