40°
The Sheriff’s Office issued an alert warning that there has been an uptick in auto thefts not only in Putnam County, but also throughout the state.
According to Langley, “the first step to preventing auto theft starts with you.”
“Many of these thefts occur because owners are leaving their vehicles unlocked with key fobs in the vehicle parked at home, work, and at car dealerships,” he said. “This allows offenders to simply go through neighborhoods in the middle of the night, open car doors and steal those that are easily susceptible to theft.
“Therefore, never leave your keys or key fobs in your car as this is an open invitation for all auto thieves to take your car or truck.”
Langley reiterated that owners should lock their cars at night and make sure that any valuables are removed or hidden overnight.
The Sheriff noted that investigations into the rash of recent auto thefts found that the break-ins have occurred most often between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.
“A vehicle that is not locked is an open opportunity for someone to steal your vehicle or valuables and identification within your vehicle that contain confidential information about you which can be used for identity theft and related credit or financial crime,” he said.
“And although there have currently been no reported burglaries related to auto thefts of cars containing key fobs never leave your house keys in the vehicle or attached to your key fobs.”
Click here to follow Daily Voice Somers and receive free news updates.
