Niskayuna police are urging residents to lock their car doors and bring valuable items with them when leaving their cars unattended because in recent months, officers have seen an increase of car break-ins and larcenies.
I would say that over the last couple of months, there have been quite a few reported larcenies from vehicles, said Detective Sgt. Daniel McManus.
He said that most of the cars that had items missing from them were left unlocked and were not inside garages. He said he believes there have only been three incidences where cars were actually broken into and property was damaged.
`A lot of unlocked vehicles have been gone through, and a lot of valuables have been taken, from loose change to GPS units to laptops to radar detectors,` said McManus. `We’re just urging town residents to take the valuables out of their cars or at least put them out of site.`
McManus said there tends to be more car burglaries in the summer months, but this summer, thieves have been especially busy.
`A lot of kids are looking for change and that kind of thing, but it’s definitely a marked increase this year, and not just in Niskayuna but around the Capital District,` said McManus.
He said that the burglars tend to be looking for any valuables they can find, including wallets, credit cards, purses, iPhones and iPods.
`Anything that can be either used or sold,` said McManus.
The crime isn’t focused in one area; the thefts are occurring all over Niskayuna, mostly after dark.
`It’s not like one specific neighborhood is being targeted. In all of our neighborhoods, at one point or another, you’ll find some area within it that’s been hit,` said McManus.
He said that many victims have said that it was the first time they left their cars unlocked, but McManus said it doesn’t matter whether it is the first or 100th time, people must be diligent about locking up their personal belongings.
Police officers in Bethlehem and Guilderland have also noticed an increase in car burglaries this summer.
`We do see an increase of these cases during the summer when the kids are off,` said Senior Investigator Tom Funk. `We seem to have a fair number of them in a month’s time so we’re wondering if we’re going to put out a [notice].`
Funk said that the Guilderland Police Department is urging the public to call about all incidents of stolen goods from cars, even if it’s just loose change.
Reporting even the smallest thefts will help the police department understand which neighborhoods are getting hit and which ones aren’t, said Funk.
Funk and officers from Rotterdam and Bethlehem said that, despite the similarities, the crimes in the different municipalities were not likely related.
`I think every town in every city faces these things in the summer when kids are off and they’re out late at night and hanging out in the streets,` said Funk. `I’m not sure if they’re related or not. Sometimes in the past they’ve been related and sometimes they’re not.`
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