Washington Park East Neighborhood Association

Car Break-Ins A Crime of Opportunity

Mar 07, 2000

As the warmer weather arrives and people begin to get out more often to enjoy such things as the beautiful city parks, our attention must unfortunately turn to taking steps to prevent thefts from our motor vehicles. Of the 114 offenses reported for the last quarter in our District, the Denver Police Department reports that 33 were thefts from motor vehicles. If a would-be thief sees items of value, it takes only a second or two to break a window, grab the item, and flee. The best approach is to lock items of value in the trunk-concealing items such as purses, cameras, and phones under a blanket won't fool a determined thief. Also, if your car stereo is equipped with a removable face, take the extra couple of seconds to remove it because the stereo is useless without it and is no longer a target. One of the best ways to prevent theft is with your eyes. If you see someone walking down the street and looking into cars, please call the police! For non-emergencies, the # to call is 720/913-2000. The emergency # is still 911.