Newton Police After Spate Of Break-Ins: Lock Your Car

NEWTON, MA — Police are asking residents to lock their car doors when they park them, even if it's in front of their home, after some 13 unlocked cars were reported broken into last week. This For reference between Jan. 1 and Jan 28, there were 26 reports of a larceny from a motor vehicle, according to police data.

Lt. Bruce Apotheker a spokesperson for the department said in many of the cases, change seemed to be missing and the console appeared rifled through.

Several cars were reported broken into in Newton Highlands and in West Newton, according to Police data.

Residents on Elinor, Woodcliff, Alexander and Bonad roads, Prince and Prospect streets, Commonwealth Avenue, Colbert and Woodcliff roads all reported their cars broken into. And police noted in all of those cases the cars were unlocked, making it easy pickings.

That's not the only thing that appeared to be easy picking last week. During the weekend, one man reported he parked his car, left it unlocked and put the keys to his car in the glove box, while he took his dog for a walk in the woods off of Madoc Road. He came back to find his car stolen, according to Apothekar. His was the second car this year to be reported stolen.

Later that day Boston College police found the car in a parking lot on Hammond Pond Parkway, but it's yet another reminder of the importance of locking car doors.

What you can do to prevent your car from being broken into:

• Lock your car. Yes, even in your driveway. Police say this over and over again. Most cars in Newton that get broken into, are easy targets because they're left unlocked.
• Don't leave the little stuff: change, tape measures, toll readers, or random cool stuff visible. All of that is bait for a potential thief walking by.
• Don't leave the big stuff either: Never leave a purse or a bag in your car for more than a minute. It doesn't take long for someone to open your car door and snag a bag. If you have to leave something, put it in the trunk. It takes longer to open and since it's not visible, it's not tempting to would-be thieves.
• If you don't have a car alarm, get one, or get a blinking light that looks like an alarm and put it on your dashboard. Often, a little deterrent like this goes a long way.
• Park in well-lit areas, or install a motion detector light near where you park. Thieves don't like light.

What to do if your car has been broken into:

• Call police as soon as you discover it's been broken into. Police say it's helpful for them to know where potential crime may be happen, even if nothing appears stolen from your car. And the sooner you report it, the better. Reporting an incident may help police warn neighbors so it doesn't happen to them.
• If a window was broken or there's damage, take a photo.
• Make note of what's missing.
• Police will ask you if you want to file a report. Your insurance company may need a copy of the report if there's damage.

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Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff. Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).