Southington Police Warning Residents About Car Break-Ins

SOUTHINGTON, CT - Local police are telling residents to make sure their cars are locked.

Over the last several months there has been a rash of vehicle break-ins in town, police said on Wednesday.

Most of the break-ins have occurred during the overnight hours in residential areas and most of the incidents have involved vehicles that have been unlocked, police said.

Several vehicles have been stolen in town, police said.

"Most of these crimes have been occurring in the overnight hours and in most, if not all cases, the vehicles that were entered or stolen were left unlocked," police said.

Southington police released the following tips:

Lock Vehicles

"This is as simple as it sounds, but you would be surprised at how much is stolen from cars with unlocked doors. Of course, locked doors don't do much good if you leave the windows down, so roll up all windows. Remove all valuables from a vehicle or leave them out of sight. If you have to leave items in the car, put them out of sight and in the trunk. Always take personal items into your home when you park for the evening. Never leave anything visible in your car especially electronic items such as a GPS units, music players or laptop computers."

Location

"Park in a well-lit area. Light removes the cover of darkness which is important to thieves. When parking your vehicle at Night, always take steps to park your vehicle where there is plenty of light. Motion-activated lights are a great deterrent to thief’s and should be installed in your driveway. Avoid parking on the street if possible: This will help to reduce the opportunity for thieves to access your vehicle. Report all suspicious activity."

Reporting

"If you see a crime in progress or something suspicious, call the Southington Police Department immediately at 860-621-0101 or 911.Try and take notes such as clothing descriptions, vehicle make/color/license plate and direction of travel. Give all this information to the dispatcher that answers the call. In the case of an emergency please call 911."