NEWS RELEASE                                             

For Immediate Release
June 23, 2008
Contact: Michele Nicholson
Public Information Officer
  (850) 651-7420

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM CAR BURGLARIES

    Summer has arrived - the time of year when car burglaries typically go up. In seventy percent of the cases reported so far this year to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, there was “no security used”. In other words, the cars were left unlocked or with the windows down.

    Some car burglars plan out their crimes but many are opportunists who simply won’t pass up an easy chance to take someone else’s valuables. So here are a few tips to make it more difficult for them to operate, and less likely you’ll become a victim:

       *    Always keep car doors locked and windows rolled up.

       *    Don’t leave valuables in your car or at least remove them from plain view or lock them in your glove compartment.

       *    Use motion lighting in front of your house and on your driveway.

o   Criminals don’t like to be seen!

  *    Use a car alarm and alarm decals, if possible.

  *    Park in a busy, well-lit area.

  *    Get involved in a Neighborhood Watch Program for your neighborhood/street.

    

     Commonly stolen items from vehicles include backpacks and briefcases, wallets and purses, laptops, I-PODs, GPS navigation systems, cell phones, jewelry, and tools.

    If you see anyone acting suspiciously, contact the nearest law enforcement agency. And remember, if your car is burglarized, don’t touch anything until law enforcement officers have a chance to check for any evidence left behind!

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