A Reminder: Always Lock Your Car Doors

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — One of my main duties as a local news reporter is collecting police reports from the various communities I cover. Inevitably, every few weeks, there are at least a few stories about someone leaving their car unlocked and either having personal items stolen (a purse, a watch, a laptop), or having the car itself stolen.

Cleveland Heights Police Chief Annette Mecklenburg sees the same occurrence, crimes of opportunity that crop up every few weeks. In a post to NextDoor, Mecklenburg reminded residents not to keep valuables in their car and to always lock their vehicle.

"Many times when cars are entered by offenders, it is because it is a crime of opportunity, the overwhelming majority of which are unlocked. It only takes a few seconds for someone to enter your car and steal property, or drive away with your vehicle if the keys are in the ignition or the center console," Mecklenburg said.

Would-be thieves are less likely to break a window to get into a car. That's could trigger an alarm or bring undue attention. That's why locking a vehicle's doors are so important. Take the extra few second to ensure your car doors are locked before leaving it unattended.

"So let's make it harder on these offenders and avoid becoming a victim by taking a few extra seconds when leaving your car to remove anything of valuable and ensure that it is locked - even if you are just stepping away for a few minutes," Mecklenburg added.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

Photo from Shutterstock