Do You Know Where Your Car Is?
Car thefts have risen dramatically since the beginning of the new year, and especially in the last two weeks. Twenty-one cars have been stolen in the last two weeks compared to 29 for all of the preceding four weeks.
“Believe it or not, some of these cars were taken with the keys still in them,” said Lt. Paul Vernon, commanding officer of the Central Detective Division. “We want to remind people: Lock it; Hide it; Keep it.”
A large cluster of car thefts and car burglaries appeared over the last two weeks near the Staples Center and LA Live.
Based on recent occurrences, cars parked on the street were twice as likely to be stolen or broken into than those parked in parking lots.
You can see a cluster of cars taken from small side streets east of LA Live,” Lt. Vernon explained. “Drivers are rolling the dice to avoid lot fees and dodge parking tickets, only to have their car stolen or broken into. It’s not worth it.”
The cluster of crimes east of Figueroa Street, near LA Live tends to show the crimes are related to cars parked for events at the entertainment venues and restaurants.
Thirteen if the 21 cars stolen over the last two weeks were taken on a Sunday or Saturday between noon and midnight.
Lock your car whenever you leave it and remove all the items from the passenger compartment, taking them with you or placing them in the truck;
If you don’t have a trunk, take items with you or place them under the seat or in the glove compartment. Remove any wires, connectors or holders that might hint that you have a GPS or IPod in the car;
Keep it by installing anti-theft devices like alarms, kill switches, or steering wheel locks. These measures harden the target causing crooks to move on to softer targets.
NOTE: The two cars shown in the Fashion District (RD 185) were not stolen. The drivers forgot where they had parked their cars.
