With the holiday season here, many Plant City residents have a shopping list started. But between the hustle and bustle of buying gifts, some residents may forget to keep a close eye on their surroundings.
Last year, the holiday period from October to December saw an increase in the number of reported vehicle break-ins compared to previous months. In September 2014, nine vehicle burglaries were reported to the Plant City Police Department, followed by 31 in October 2014.
To safeguard against theft, there are preventative measures that residents can take.
“The biggest precautionary method is not leaving anything unsecure,” Plant City Police Department Sgt. Al Van Duyne said. “Depending on where you live, you have different levels of security.”
One of the easiest steps that residents can take to safeguard their items is to make it difficult for thieves to access or spot them, such as by closing garage doors and locking car doors.
“Criminals have shied away from (drawing attention),” Van Duyne said. “They’ve evolved into opportunists. They look for open doors and things in plain view. That’s really gotten very prevalent.”
Often, residents who are victims of crimes like a vehicle break-in have left an item in plain view, such as a laptop in the backseat of their car or a GPS still attached to the inside of the windshield.
Thefts are not only reported in the driveways of residents’ homes. Many break-ins are reported in the parking lots of large retail stores.
“As folks prepare for the holidays and go shopping, folks need to secure the items in the trunk and not leave them in plain view,” Van Duyne said. “We had … many at Bealls and many at Wal-Mart.”
If shoppers don’t have room left in their trunk to store items, there are still precautionary measures that they can take to hide their items.
If they don’t want to carry their items from store to store, they can hide them on the floor of their car and throw a jacket or blanket over them.
Burglars who break into homes look for homes that are left unsecure, and watch as residents come and go.
Although hiding items inside one’s home might not be necessary, it’s important to check that all doors and windows are locked and that no valuable items are left in plain view.
“That’s kind of how we see the method of operation for a lot of residential burglaries,” Van Duyne said.
Some stolen electronics, such as laptops, are hard to track if the serial numbers have not been recorded. This is necessary for insurance purposes, Van Duyne said.
“Write those serial numbers down,” Van Duyne said. “That way if it gets stolen, I have a little bit of a better shot at tracking it down.”
Out of items usually targeted for theft, Van Duyne said that high-dollar electronics are usually stolen the most. Phones, Kindles, laptops and tablets are all relatively small and easy to conceal.
“They can still fetch a pretty good penny on the black market if they try to sell it,” Van Duyne said.
When items are stolen, they are often taken out of town and sold at pawn shops. The detective units from neighboring areas often team up to track items down.
“The collaborative effort is what leads us to getting property back,” Van Duyne said.
Van Duyne also recommends that residents tie down items that might earn a cheap dollar, such as large, outdoor holiday decorations. Because those items are not serialized like electronics, they are harder to track down if stolen.
Additionally, residents can take additional measures that may help the police if someone does break into their home.
Home security systems can be installed for a monthly charge and some even allow for the cameras to be brought up on a cell phone screen. If a potential burglar sees a camera in a home, they may be deterred from breaking in.
“It doesn’t prevent anything from happening,” Van Duyne said. “It’s a safeguard.”
When residents leave their homes to embark on their holiday shopping, taking a buddy along can also deter thieves and those looking to take advantage of people who are alone.
“When people go shopping, there’s folks out there who look to victimize,” Van Duyne said. “Take someone with you, and be mindful of who’s around.”
As shoppers load their cars, it is also recommended that they drive to a different location, where someone may not have seen them put items in their car.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
Holiday Statistics
The number of reported vehicle break-ins in Plant City during the 2014 holiday season saw an increase from summer months.
Break-Ins by Month
Aug. 2014: 12
Sept. 2014: 9
Oct. 2014: 31
Nov. 2014: 31
Dec. 2014: 26
BE SURE TO…
- Close garage doors.
- Lock car doors.
- Remove GPS off the windshield.
- Hide electronics, bags and purses in the car trunk, under the seat or under a jacket.
- Write down the serial numbers of electronics devices.
- Tie down holiday yard decorations.
- Use the buddy system when shopping.
GET TECHNICAL
High-dollar electronics are usually stolen the most. Phones, Kindles, laptops and tablets are all relatively small and easy to conceal.