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!