Auto burglaries continue to be crimes of opportunity, so Las Cruces police are once again reminding drivers to remove valuables and lock doors before leaving their vehicles unattended.
The overwhelming majority of auto burglaries committed locally occur when a vehicle is left unlocked and valuables – such as backpacks, purses, electronics, designer clothes, tools, loose change and recently purchased merchandise – are left in plain sight.
Most auto burglary perpetrators simply walk neighborhoods and large parking lots checking for unlocked vehicles or peering through windows for items of interest. Once inside a vehicle, a perpetrator needs only seconds to rummage through and steal valuables.
The Las Cruces Police Department recommends:
- Remove valuables from vehicle.
- Keep items of intrigue (backpacks, luggage, packages, shopping bags, cell phone chargers, electronics, tools, etc.) out of sight.
- Remove or properly secure tools and other gear commonly carried in trailers or pickup beds.
- Do not leave firearms or ammunition inside an unattended vehicle.
- Do not leave spare keys or garage door openers inside your vehicle.
- Refrain from leaving key fobs inside an unattended vehicle.
- Do not leave bank cards, cash or important documents inside your vehicle.
- Roll up windows and keep doors locked when leaving vehicle unattended.
- Remove key from the ignition, and refrain from leaving your vehicle unlocked and unattended while running a quick errand or pumping gasoline.
- If possible, park in a well-lighted area or inside a garage.
- Consider using a self-arming audible vehicle alarm system.
- Consider installing a monitored home security system or a motion-sensor ‘smart’ alarm, such as a Ring or Nest doorbell systems, that overlooks the driveway. Such ‘smart’ alarms record video and send alerts via cell phone when motion is detected.
- Immediately report to police any suspicious behavior or activity.