Police Urge Residents to Keep Unattended Cars Locked

By Sue Ellen Woodcock

In the past two weeks Winthrop Police have been receiving reports of automobiles being entered and items being stolen. They have also had reports of automobiles being shot at with a BB gun.

Police Chief Terence Delehanty said the problems have been occurring in the general vicinity of Franklin and Shirley streets. Most of the victims had reported that they left their car doors unlocked. Delehanty said it appears the suspects are just walking along and trying the door handles on the cars. If unlocked they are entered and items stolen.

“People are leaving their doors unlocked and they are leaving things like money and electronics in the cars,” Delehanty said.

He explained that they do have suspects, most likely from out of town, and detectives are working with law enforcement from Revere and East Boston to see if there are any patterns.

“We do have several videos we are reviewing,” Delehanty said. “Anyone in the are that has video we would welcome the input.”

As far as the damage doe with BB guns, Delehanty said in most cases it is kids driving around.

“These are separate and distinct instances,” he said, adding that there have also been two automobiles and a moped stolen.

The Winthrop Police Department offers the following tips:

• The first tip is the most obvious. No matter how little time you will be away from your car for LOCK your car! Almost a quarter of thefts happen from unlocked vehicles. That’s 25 percent more than should happen.
• The second tip is just as obvious, yet one most people are guilty of. Don’t leave any valuables in sight. It’s a fact that most crimes in general, are crimes of opportunity. For the most part, people try to break into people’s property when there is reason to believe they will be rewarded for their risk. It’s as simple as hiding your belongings when leaving your car in public.
• The third tip goes along with tip number 2, but is probably the most overlooked one. Put your accessories away! It doesn’t do much good to hide your GPS, or iPod, if you leave the charger plugged in, or the wire going into the glove box. Most thieves are experts at what they do, and know all the tell- tale signs to look for.
• Set your alarm! Don’t have an alarm? If you have expensive valuables in your car, you should probably invest in one. Alarms systems these days are cheap, and can be quickly installed for a lower cost than replacing stolen goods.
• Park in well lit areas, and not in between two vehicles bigger than yours. Once again, if you put your vehicle in a secluded area, it makes it an easy target and provides great cover for a suspecting thief.
• Don’t store a spare key on your car. We all know it stinks to get locked out of your car if you lose a key, but it’s better to at least have a car to come back to. If you need to leave a spare somewhere, leave it at home, or with someone that you can trust and be able to call if needed. Don’t ever leave it somewhere in, or under your vehicle thinking a thief will never find it.
• When storing valuables in a trunk, or glove box, do it before you get to your location. If a thief knows your trunk is stuffed full of goodies, it takes less than 30 seconds after you leave to smash your window, pull the trunk release, and run.
• Common sense and instincts prevail, and prevention is the best key. If something seems wrong, or you see someone suspicious when parking or in your neighborhood. Notify the police immediately if you observe someone suspicious in your neighborhood.