Del Mar, North County Beach Communities See Rise in Car Burglaries

October is National Crime Prevention Month. The Encinitas Sheriff's Station, which serves the Del Mar community, is offering tips in hopes of keeping you from becoming a victim of a car burglary.

Over the past few months, the Encinitas Sheriff's Station has seen an increase in car burglaries in the beach communities such as Del Mar, Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe and Encinitas.

Since the beginning of 2012, there have been a total of 591 reported thefts from vehicles in the Encinitas Sheriff's Command. This represents a projected 12 percent increase from 2011.

Some of the most common items stolen from vehicles are; credit cards, wallets, GPS devices, laptop computers, iPods, iPads, MP3 players, purses, cameras, and cell phones.

Car burglaries have one thing in common: criminals are looking for something to steal and victims provide the criminal with the opportunity by leaving an items in their car that are easily seen by peering into a window or opening a door and rifling through the car.

The Encinitas Sheriff's Station reminds everyone to always lock car doors, keep windows rolled up and not to leave valuables in plain sight.

For more tips, visit the Sheriff's Department Crime Prevention page.

If you see something suspicious, report it to law enforcement. Your tips and leads are valuable and often times lead to the arrest of the suspect.

• Emergencies — 911
• Non‐emergencies — 858-565‐5200
• Crime Stoppers Anonymous Tip Line — 888-580‐8477 or sdcrimestoppers.com
• You can also call the Encinitas Sheriff's Station to schedule a neighborhood watch meeting in your community at 760-966‐3500

—San Diego Sheriff's Department