Lock your car!

Locking your vehicle takes just a second. Choosing not to lock your vehicle allows a burglar 20 seconds to take everything inside the vehicle.

“That’s exactly what they’re targeting, unlocked vehicles,” said Aloy. “If it’s locked, good; if not, it takes 20 seconds to take your stuff.”

Aloy said two suspects have been apprehended who are part of a vehicle burglary ring in the county.

He estimated that 50 cars county-wide have been burglarized and “each car broken into was unlocked.”

Aloy explained that the burglars are targeting anything of simple value: GPS, iPads, iPods, purses, or the coins left in the ashtray.

“This is a crime of opportunity,” said Aloy. “A, if the car is unlocked, B, anything in it will get taken.”

In response the Sheriff’s office has started a Lock It or Lose It campaign to bring awareness to the simple act of locking a vehicle.

“It’s slightly obvious and maybe even insulting, but because of its simplicity, I can’t stress those three words enough: lock your car,” said Aloy.