Galveston police officer Scott Hirst dusts a pickup for fingerprints earlier this year while investigating a vehicle burglary. Officers said you should always lock your car doors.
The message from police to holiday shoppers is clear on how to avoid becoming a victim of vehicle break-ins.
A thin pane of glass or an unlocked door are the only things separating valuables from opportunistic automobile burglars.
Statewide statistics reveal nearly 200,000 vehicle break-ins reported each year, resulting in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars of property, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Because the crimes are ones of opportunity, catching burglars in the act is difficult, leading to clearance rates of less than 20 percent, the department said.
Following just a few tips could be the difference between an uneventful shopping trip and returning to your car to find shattered window glass littering your seat cushion, authorities say.
The best advice is simply to lock your car, Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo, a Galveston County Sheriffs Office spokesman, said.
A very significant portion of vehicle burglaries we work are from people leaving stuff in their car and not locking the door, Tuttoilmondo said. It never ceases to amaze me when they tell us, I left the door open.
With thefts from automobiles on the rise in League Citys shopping centers, the Galveston County Auto Crimes Task Force partnered with the Insurance Council of Texas to develop parking lot signs, warning shoppers to lock their cars, take their keys and hide their belongings.
Knowing how and when to hide your belongings is also important, Jeff Heyse, a Galveston police spokesman, said.
Dont be part of the problem, Heyse said. Be a part of the solution. Dont leave stuff out in the open.
Also, dont wait until reaching the parking lot of the next shopping destination to pop the trunk and start hiding belongings, Heyse said. Thieves could be watching, he said.
Lastly, dont leave cars that have remote garage-door openers on the street. Those are keys to your house, police said.
+++
Auto Burglaries
Here is a statewide list of the number of reported thefts from automobiles and the dollar value in millions of the stolen property.
