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MPD warns public of car break-ins
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by Lynn Heidmann
Friday, April 7, 2006
With several recent car break-ins and burglaries in the area, the Madison Police Department formally warned residents Thursday about leaving valuable items visible or unlocked in vehicles.
MPD detective Jeff Hughes recently arrested two individuals for multiple auto thefts and recovered hundreds of dollars worth of property. Some of the property has been returned, but Hughes said most of the stolen goods have not been claimed or reported missing.
"There are individuals out there where their sole way of supporting themselves is [auto theft]," he added. "It requires the least amount of effort and investment [for the burglar] and it is the most difficult crime to solve."
According to a Madison-area Crime Stoppers report given at a press conference, 55 cases of auto theft have been reported in recent months.
Hughes also said the arrested individuals stole all of the property over the course of just one weekend, most likely sometime in the middle of March.
Recovered items included CDs, several car stereos, radar detectors, a digital camera and GPS systems.
Hughes was able to catch the arrested individuals with the help of detailed video footage, a crucial resource in cases of auto theft.
MPD's public informations officer Mike Hanson said the most important message behind these burglar arrests is to inform the public about the consequences and prevention of vehicle theft.
"If we can get the community to eliminate the opportunity by locking their doors and not keeping valuables in their cars, that would be wonderful," he added.
Lt. Tony Peterson stressed the importance of caution and vigilance when leaving a vehicle unattended. Most burglars break into a car through a window to reach visible objects, he said.
"These guys look in your car, see something they want and they take it," Peterson added. "If they look in and don't see anything and the door is locked, they move on — there's no reason to break into a car with nothing in it."
Hughes agreed the best thing the public can do to prevent auto theft is hiding and removing items from vehicles and said that another commonly overlooked practice crucial to preventing burglaries is locking car doors.
"Locking the vehicle is a big thing and it sounds like common sense, but more often than not, we find that there was no forced entrance — thieves are simply using the door handle," Hughes said.
According to police records, the most common item stolen from vehicles is by far stereos and other audio equipment, followed by CDs and cash.
Hughes also warned the main targeted areas for auto theft in the city of Madison are unattended parking lots and residential underground parking decks, especially in the western part of the city.
Peterson said with such a wide array and high volume of items stolen from cars each year, the police department does not have the time or resources to investigate each case. Most of the time, he added, auto-theft cases go unreported and unsolved due to lack of evidence.
"Unless there is significant evidence in a case and a good lead, [the police] really can't do anything about it," Peterson said. "The bottom line is, don't leave anything in your car if you don't want it taken."
