Now that the temperatures have dropped, city residents have started to warm up their cars in the morning, often times leaving them unattended.
This has resulted in several motor vehicle thefts in the city.
Last week, Second Precinct officers took reports for five stolen vehicles. Citywide, there were 16 such motor vehicle thefts last week compared with four during the same time period last year.
“Don’t be a volunteer victim. The easiest type of car to steal is one with the keys left inside,” Second Precinct Capt. Harvey Powers said. “Even if the vehicle is locked while warming up, it doesn’t take much for a criminal to break the glass.
“And this type of theft is not restricted to one place in the city. We have seen running unattended vehicles stolen in residential and business locations in the city, including both apartment complexes and in home driveways.”
