Document text
Common sense can prevent vehicle thefts Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Glazier Eric Hartman, of Farrell�s Glass in Medford, works on a car in which the window was jammed open in order to steal items from the back seat. Police say that by year�s end, Medford will see more than 1,500 cases of vehicle theft � by a relatively small number of suspects. By Jill Briskey Car thieves will break into at least three vehicles today in Medford. Whether it�s opening an unlocked door, jimmying a lock or bashing in a window, Medford police Lt. Tim George said, it isn�t unusual for his officers to respond to four or five thefts from cars a night. "Anything�s that not tied down, they will take," George said. "This is a situation where a small number of suspects are responsible for a large number of crimes." Lock your car; keep valuables out of sight Two out of three car break-ins take place when residents leave vehicles unlocked and valuables in plain sight, according to Medford police Lt. Tim George. There are several ways to stop car clouts, police say, including common sense: Remove temptation by always locking doors, windows and sunroofs. Park in a garage or carport whenever possible instead of on the street. Mark personal belongings such as cell phones, stereos or cameras with an engraver. Initial compact disks. Recovered items often go unclaimed, George said. If valuables must be left inside a vehicle, lock them in the trunk or glove compartment. Report any theft or attempted break-in. This helps police establish a pattern and can help when investigating multiple, related crime sprees. Report suspicious characters in the neighborhood. Often, thieves work in pairs and scope out an area before making a move. Although expensive, tinted windows and alarm systems help curb crime. By the end of the year, George predicts that Medford will see more than 1,500 cases of vehicle break-ins. Mostly working in pairs or in a large group, thieves will strike cars almost anywhere, George said, but usually case out vehicles parked off a street or parking lots with heavy traffic. Early Tuesday morning, a thief broke into an older Mitsubishi pickup parked on the lot of a Medford car dealership, making off with an amplifier and one speaker. "I figure that someone just drove by and picked out the truck," dealership employee Keith Patterson said. Although the lot had a fence alarm, the thief found a weak link in the security system, Patterson said. The truck�s canopy window was smashed and the door was damaged during an attempt to jimmy the lock, causing an estimated $500 in damage and stolen property. Thefts from cars often go unreported, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to nail down the perpetrators. George said some victims don�t realize theft from an unlocked vehicle is still a crime. And they�re hard cases to crack. In 1999, 85 percent of Medford�s car theft cases were unsolved. That case-clearance rate could increase, George said, if community members would report suspicious people lurking in the area or inform police if they witness the crime. Last week, Medford police were able to arrest the final suspect in a string of 21 car clouts over the past several months. Three Rogue Valley juveniles and 18-year-old Edgar Velazco of Medford were charged with various counts of theft, for which they are now awaiting trial. George said a report from a witness at a motel helped with the arrests. Smaller towns are not immune to car clouts, Ashland Police Lt. Rich Walsh said. The city sees an average of three thefts from cars a week. In August, Walsh said, it wasn�t unusual for officers to respond to 10 or 15 calls a night. "It kind of comes in spurts for us," he said. "Then all of the sudden it dies out for a while." Last week, thieves broke into six cars in Central Point within 48 hours. Police Chief Mike Sweeny said the crimes took place along two streets. Two months ago, Central Point officers were able to charge three male juveniles in a string summer break-ins, citing them for several related crimes. "It�s a low-profit, high-risk operation that often involves multiple suspects," Sweeny said. Police are sometimes aided by the fact that thieves hang onto stolen property or trade the items with others who commit the same type of crime, linking separate crimes together when evidence is recovered. "They stole it, they couldn�t sell it, so they trade it around," Sweeny said. "It takes them awhile to find out that there�s not much resale value." One-third of all car clouts can be avoided if residents just lock their vehicles, police said. George urged residents to use common sense by bringing valuables inside at night and removing spare keys from a vehicle�s interior. "If you don�t see anything of real value, you�re not going to go in there and just check it out," George said. "The harder you make it, the more successful you are going to be at not becoming a victim." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.