Recent vehicle thefts

There have been two recent vehicle thefts in Rosewood area.  One vehicle theft was a “car jacking” robbery and the other was a vehicle that was left “warming up” in the driveway of an apartment complex.  These two seemingly separate incidents do have something in common.  Both incidents could have been prevented by using simple crime prevention techniques.  Leaving a car to warm up is an open invitation to a criminal to steal the vehicle.  Every year at this time we see an increase of this type of vehicle theft.  The criminals on the street actually have a word for this type of theft, they call it a “steamer”.    Leaving your car running to warm up, not only wastes gas, it is likely the biggest risk to the loss of a valuable you will experience.  Though I can not talk about the specifics of the “car jacking” case, I can tell you many times theses type of cases start with someone not locking their car doors followed up by not paying attention to their surroundings.  A couple things to remember to avoid a car jacking incident:  Lock your doors once you are in the car and always  pay attention as you come to a stop sign or traffic light.  Know who is around you and what they are doing.  If it looks unsafe and you can turn around before you get to the intersection, do so.  I have talked to victims of car jackings and most times they have said they saw a  suspicious person or group at the stop light or stop sign, but they pulled up anyway.  Also, don’t forget to call in what you see, so police can come check out the area.  Calling the police may prevent someone else from becoming a victim.