By TEREASA NIMS
Sunday Times Newspapers
RIVERVIEW — There has been a slight increase in thefts from vehicles since the weather has warmed.
“There’s been a bit of an uprise,” Police Chief Cliff Rosebohm said. “More people are out.”
Rosebohm advised that if people returns to their cars and discover a break-in to call the police.
“Don’t touch or move anything,” Rosebohm said, noting that sometimes thieves leave “valuable evidence behind,” such as their fingerprints or DNA.
The chief said one way to help avoid luring the attention of thieves is to not showcase valuables and make them easily accessible.
“Lock your vehicle doors, keep your windows up and set your anti-theft devices,” Rosebohm said. “Don’t leave valuables in the car.”
He said cell phones, wallets, music devices, chargers and change are a few of the things that draw thieves to a vehicle. When having to leave something behind, he suggests not leaving it in plain view.
“People say, ‘I am only going to be gone for a few seconds,’” Rosebohm said. “It only takes a few seconds for someone to bust the window to the car, reach in and take things.”
The chief said another security measure is not keeping the registration and garage door opener in the vehicle. The two things together could lead the thief right to the victim’s garage where the thief can further make off with the car, items in the garage or all the above.
“Having your car broken into is horrible,” said Amanda Willis, of Wyandotte. She said the 1996 Grand Prix belonging to her boyfriend was broken into last summer while it was parked in front of a friends house, also in Wyandotte.
“We went inside to get our friends to head to the airport,” she said. “We came back out a half hour later and the backseat window was smashed and my laptop, camera and a few other things were gone.”
Willis said the items were never recovered, but the incident left a scar.
“I take everything with me when I go inside someplace,” Willis said. “I don’t even leave loose change in the car.”
She said her boyfriend is the same way now.
“You might plan to run in someplace really quick,” Willis said. “But the lowlife thief might be quicker.”
(Tereasa Nims can be reached at [email protected].)