APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) — With the cold weather, there’s a tendency to start your car, and step away as it is warming up. But this can have consequences…
Lieutenant Meghan Cash with the Appleton Police Department said car thefts are up this winter; and they mostly occur while out in public spaces like gas stations; or anywhere else you’d expect to make a quick stop.
“It’s not very frequent that we see at someone’s home that somebody is choosing to take a vehicle,” said Cash. “It’s typically in those public spaces where there are a lot of cars potentially running unoccupied.”
Kevin Warych from the Green Bay Police Department agreed.
“Ask yourself next time you go to the gas station or convenience store, how many cars are left running in the parking lot?” said Warych. “That’s a good reminder that that’s not a good idea.”
While some issues of vehicle thefts are centered around a particular make/model, winter car thieves target any kind of vehicle.
Traffic cameras and other new technologies have helped immensely with reuniting stolen vehicles with their true owner, the biggest crime deterrent is still to take all valuables out of your car, not leave your keys in a running vehicle, and make sure your vehicle is locked when you are not around it.
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