The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office has identified a trend of increased theft from unlocked motor vehicles. In these crimes, suspects prey on citizens who fail to secure their vehicles, stealing what they can from their victims. Valuables left in plain view leaves citizens vulnerable to becoming targets of crime. Fortunately, these crimes are usually crimes of opportunity and thus are largely preventable.
St. Mary's County Sheriff Tim Cameron states that these criminals are looking for purses, cash, change, laptops, electronic tablets, and GPS units.
Sheriff Cameron urges residents to practice these important prevention techniques:
Lock vehicles every time you exit them
Remove all valuable items
Park in well-lit areas
Do not leave a motor vehicle running and unattended
In addition to securing their vehicles, it is important that residents remain aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious activity, such as unfamiliar persons and/or vehicles in the area, by calling the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 301-475-8008. For immediate assistance, call 9-1-1.
Being proactive and reporting suspicious incidents is the key to preventing crime throughout our neighborhoods.
