The Bismarck Police Department is reminding residents to take steps to prevent the theft of property from their parked vehicles. So far this year, there have been 147 thefts from motor vehicles reported to Bismarck Police, compared with 94 at this same time last year. This is a 56% increase. In many cases, the vehicles entered were not locked.
Thefts from motor vehicles are often crimes of opportunity. The sad, frustrating aspect of this crime is that it is so preventable. How do you keep someone from stealing something valuable OUT of your vehicle? Easy -- don’t leave anything valuable IN your vehicle. Vehicles are designed for transportation, not security. So unless you’re driving an armored car, valuables won’t be safe in your vehicle. Lock your valuables securely in the trunk, or better yet, leave them locked up at home.
If you are forced to leave valuables in a pickup, try to hide them, under or behind the seat, or on the floorboards, shoved up as far as you can under the dash. Then throw a blanket or coat over them. Do whatever you can do to make your valuables invisible. While there are no guarantees, if a thief doesn’t see anything worth stealing, there’s a good chance he won’t break into your vehicle. He’ll break into the vehicle across the street, with the valuables sitting out in plain view.
If you see suspicious activity, like someone prowling through or attempting to enter parked vehicles, call 911. If you have information about who is committing these crimes, or any other crimes, please call Crime Stoppers at 224-TIPS (224-8477). Information is taken anonymously and you may be eligible for a cash reward if your information leads to an arrest.
There are no guarantees when it comes to crime prevention. But to greatly reduce your chances of someone breaking into or stealing your vehicle:
1. Always lock your vehicle.
2. Don’t leave the keys in the ignition or anywhere they are accessible (like in the glove box, above the visor or under the floor mat.)
3. Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle. Lock them securely in the trunk or better yet, lock them up in your home.
4. If you have to leave valuables in your vehicle, don’t leave them in plain sight. Try to hide them or cover them so they aren’t out in the open.
5. If you see someone prowling through or attempting to enter parked vehicles, call law enforcement immediately.
For more information contact Sgt. Mark Buschena, 355-1874.