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Thieves who target unlocked cars sitting in home driveways are hitting Mount Pleasant hard, with about 50 residents reporting that their cars were rifled in the last month, according to town police. Wallets, purses, golf clubs and designer sunglasses lead the list of stolen items, along with iPads, iPods and laptop computers.
"People are treating their cars like safes and leaving valuables in them," Police Chief Louis Alagno said. "The problem is that they are not safes. A car sitting in your driveway at your home, a place where you feel comfortable and secure that's not something most people think needs to be locked, so they don't lock them. And even locked cars can be easily broken into if there is something worth stealing."
That is why police are advising residents in Mount Pleasant and nearby communities, including Greenburgh, Pleasantville and Briarcliff, to remove all valuables whenever leaving a car unattended. Place all GPS, radar detection units and other electronic equipment, along with any power cords, out of view. Then lock the car. Report all suspicious behavior to police immediately.
"Be a nosey neighbor," Alagno said. "If you see a vehicle parked at the house across the street and you know those people are at work; if you see someone you don't know walking around or a car you don't recognize cruising the streets, anything that doesn't look right, call us and we'll check it out.
Do you lock your car and how do you feel about being advised to do so? Leave a comment below.
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