You live in a pretty quiet neighborhood. You don’t have anything really big or valuable in your car. So you leave it unlocked in your driveway overnight. Shouldn’t be a problem, right?
Wrong!
An unlocked vehicle is an invitation to would-be thieves to easily open the door and take whatever loose property you have left in there.
And that is exactly what has happened in at least a dozen instances within the last couple of days. Residents in area of Yorkshire and Dorchester Streets have reported finding that someone had entered their unlocked vehicles. Most of the property reported as stolen has been items like loose change, sunglasses, GPS units and other similar ‘small’ items.
Vehicles that were locked overnight have apparently not been bothered.
Sheriff Bill Prummell urges everyone, regardless of where you live, to always lock your vehicle’s doors, even when parked in your own driveway.
“A locked door is a deterrent much more so than an unlocked one,” Sheriff Prummell said. “If you can do something to avoid becoming a victim, you certain need to do so.”
Anyone with information about the vehicle burglaries is asked to please call the Sheriff’s Office at (941) 639-2101, or Crime Stoppers at 800-780-TIPS (8477).