Lock your car doors to ward off thefts, police advise

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

Your car is parked in your driveway, directly in front of your house. You can see it from your bedroom window. You don’t need to lock it, right?

Thieves are counting on it that you won’t. But even police officers can forget.

“People are walking around at night and trying doors,” said Trey Kerr, community resource officer for the Mansfield Police Department. “We left my van unlocked in my driveway and someone went through it. They didn’t steal anything, but someone went through it. A lot of times, it’s teenagers.”

A lot of times, the person checking your car door locks does take items, ranging from the change in your cup holder to the hand gun under the seat. And most of the time, it’s because the car owner didn’t lock their doors.

“Almost all of your car break-ins are unlocked cars,” Kerr said. “The only time you see someone break a window is if something is in plain sight, like a purse.”

Some places are targeted by thieves , however, like gyms, because they know that people leave valuable items in their cars, like their wallets, purses and laptops.

“Seldom do people go home before going to the gym,” Kerr said. “Car burglaries are opportunity crimes. If we make it too easy for them, they’re going to do it.”

Kerr’s advice? Lock it, hide it or take it with you.

“Don’t leave valuable things in your car or put it in your trunk,” he said. “Leave your lights on at night. Make it unattractive to come to your neighborhood.”

And if you see something that looks wrong, call the police.

“I expect to see kids walking around with backpacks at 3 p.m. because school just got out,” he said. “If you see teenagers walking around at 3 a.m., call it in.”

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