How You Can Help Prevent Growing Car Theft in Idaho
This one is partly on you. Lock your doors. Twin Falls Police warn there’s a spike in vehicle burglaries. This seems to be cyclical. A few years ago we had a series of car and truck break-ins in my neighborhood. We saw increased patrols by city police, and I assume that after the warning, people got better about locking up. It probably also helped that several law enforcers live in the area.
However, I’m not sure that will solve everything. Years ago I lived in a city where a police chief woke one morning, looked out the window, and saw his unmarked car with doors and trunk open. Contents were missing.
I even lock my car when parked directly outside during the day, even if I know I’m going to an appointment in another hour. Because sometimes appointments get postponed, we get busy, and we forget.
I believe the quality of your neighborhood is irrelevant. Think about it for a moment. If you supplemented your living as an overnight thief, are you going to burglar in a poorer area, or focus your efforts on where the money is?
I’ve spent the last 40 years of my life talking with people in law enforcement (it’s been part of my job). They advise you not to directly confront a thief but instead call for help. You don’t know the character of the burglar. A drug addict looking for something he can trade for a fix can be very dangerous.
I drive to work very early in the morning and I see some really strange stuff on the streets. And I’m not on the secondary streets much where a lot of the crime takes place.
I’ve had a couple of experiences at the office. One morning, I opened the employee door and a guy was skulking in the parking lot. Another time, a car drove up to our storage barn, but the two occupants saw me looking out a window and they left just as quickly as they arrived.
Be aware of your surroundings.
