The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a series of car break-ins that have occurred in several residential areas in Vanderburgh County. These thefts have generally occurred overnight and involve cars left unlocked both outside as well as inside unlocked garages. Residential areas, especially subdivisions, are frequent targets due to the high concentration of parked vehicles and the lack of traffic during the late night, early morning hours.
The Sheriff’s Office offers these tips to minimize the risk of becoming a victim of such a theft. Cars should be locked at all times and if parked inside a garage, care should be taken to ensure that the garage itself is secure. If possible, valuables should not be left inside a vehicle or if necessary, secured in a locked glove box or trunk. Firearms, medication and money should never be kept in the vehicle when not occupied. These tips should be followed not only when the vehicle is left at a residence for the night but when the vehicle is driven to various locations and left unattended such as shopping trips, visits to friends or family and other excursions.
Many people do not report these types of thefts believing that nothing can be done. The Sheriff’s Office strongly encourages everyone who is the victim of a crime to report it. If you believe your vehicle has been entered and items taken please do not touch anything on or inside the car. If you locate items from your vehicle somewhere else such as on the ground, again refrain from touching them. Call 911 and the responding deputies can assess the possibility of recovering evidence.
Persons with information regarding the car break-ins are asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 421-6339 or go online to the Sheriff’s Office website at www.vanderburghsheriff.com where a tip may be left anonymously if desired.
