Lynchburg, Va. – The Lynchburg Police Department (LPD) is warning residents about a rise in vehicle thefts, nearly all of which, officials say, could have been prevented with a simple step: locking the car doors.
Since June, LPD said they have investigated 98 incidents of larceny from vehicles. Of those, 96 involved vehicles that were left unlocked, according to police. They say the spike in car theft is partly due to idle activity during the summer months.
“That’s because a lot of individuals are off for the summer,” said John Hartzell, LPD Communications Manager. “You’ve got a lot of young people kind of roaming around with nothing better to do, so we generally will see this type of thing this time of year.”
In addition to stolen wallets, purses, and electronics, police say there has been an alarming increase in firearms stolen from vehicles.
“Since June, we’ve had 28 firearms stolen from vehicles, Hartzell said. “Of course, we want to keep those out of the hands of the criminals. It doesn’t matter if you’re leaving that vehicle for just a few moments, make sure you lock the vehicle.”
Several Lynchburg residents say their vehicles were targeted while parked along Oakridge Boulevard, including Gene Wilkinson, who was a victim earlier this summer.
“They broke into that little white Subaru. I had it parked on the side over there,” Wilkinson said, pointing toward the street. “It cost me $710 to get that window put in and that comes out of our pocket.”
While some victims have reported forced entry, Hartzell said those cases are rare. According to officials, only two “smash-and-grab” incidents have been reported in Lynchburg this year. More commonly, they say these crimes are crimes of opportunity, often happening late at night when individuals walk through neighborhoods checking car door handles to see which ones are unlocked.
“Like you can’t trust anybody,” Wilkinson said reflecting on how he felt the night his car was broken into. “This is a fine neighborhood, and it’s just unreal that people come through at random and take what they want.”
LPD declined to comment on the specifics of the investigation but encourage residents to take precautions and to report any ongoing suspicious activities.
“The most important thing is not leave valuables in the car in the first place,” Hartzell said. “Make sure you lock it up and finally, park in a well-lit, high-traffic area.”