GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Green Bay Police are hoping the possibility of facing a big fine will help put an end to a problem they see, especially during winter months.
Stolen car reports are on the rise in the city of Green Bay.
“last year at the end of the year we ended up with, and this 2017, we had 97. In 2018 we had 108 stolen vehicles.”
But on WTAQ’s Morning News with Matt & Earl, Police Chief Andrew Smith says we often make it easy for the thieves by leaving keys in the ignition, or even leaving a vehicle running.
“Of the 108 cars that were stolen 50 of them had the keys in the ignition. Either the engine was running or the keys were left inside the car.”
And Smith says officers spend a lot of time tracking down the stolen vehicle that could have been spent on investigations for more important crimes.
“I’m guessing it costs taxpayers about 500 bucks everytime somebody reports their car was stolen.”
Smith says the possibility of a financial penalty to the vehicle owner could get people’s attention.
“What a bad idea it is to leave your keys in the car, whether the car is running or not, here in Green Bay.”
The city council is set to vote tomorrow (TUESDAY) on a $500 fine for a vehicle left running in a public parking lot.
