Crime & Safety

Have Valuables? Don't Leave Them in the Car!

A spate of vehicle burglaries prompted Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Capt. Dave Silversparre to send out another list of tips to protect your possessions.

Have an iPad? How about a laptop? Whatever valuables you have, don't leave them in the car, Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station Capt. Dave Silversparre warns - again.

Despite how many times he repeats this mantra to the public, wallets, purses and computers stolen from cars, where thieves smashed windows to grab the goods.

Perhaps not every property crime can be avoided - but Silversparre's message is: let's not help the thieves steal your stuff.

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Here's a list of Silversparre's must-dos to help protect your property:

• Keep all doors and windows locked and if the home has a security alarm system always activate it, even if you’re only going to be gone for short time.

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• All auto-burglaries generally have one thing in common: something to steal, something valuable left in the car. Many auto-burglaries are "crimes of opportunity"; they could have been avoided had simple preventative steps been taken, such as removing items from plain sight.

• Auto-burglary prevention, like all crime prevention, involves limiting the criminal's ability and/or opportunity to commit the crime. With very little time and effort, you can make a huge difference in your vulnerability to auto-burglary. It generally takes a mere few seconds to secure your valuables, but it will take only a few seconds more for a thief to break in and steal valuables left in plain sight.

• Items to be particularly vigilant of (as they are most commonly stolen) are GPS systems, money and jewelry, cameras, iPods’s, iPads, cell phones, CD/DVD’s, satellite radios, electronic games, computers, and sunglasses.

"We need to be vigilant in our area because the criminals are attracted to La Crescenta and La Cañada Flintridge and the high value targets in the homes and in the vehicles,'' Silversparre said.

Report all suspicious person(s) or activities to: Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station, 4554 N. Briggs Ave. La Crescenta or call 818-248-3464.


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