PLAINVILLE, Conn. — Plainville police are reminding people what they can do to minimize car break-ins after the town had nearly 30 of them in one month.
According to officials, over the past month, there had been at least 29 reported vehicle break-ins and/or/thefts from vehicles. Police said 14 of those break-ins happened on one night alone.
Police said they are following up on leads in an attempt to find and arrest the suspects but want residents to remain on alert and do what they can to mitigate the risk.
Some of the top advice is to park your vehicle in a locked garage if you can. If not, still try to park it as close to your home as possible and not out on the street. Also, be sure to park your vehicle in a well-lit area!
Police also remind drivers not to ever leave anything of value in their vehicles. Those items include cash, checks, wallets, purses, tools, personal identification, and guns – all of which have been previously stolen by suspects.
Drivers should clean their vehicles out and leave nothing in plain sight. Police said that if a suspect looks inside your vehicle and sees a large number of things left on the seat, they'll believe the vehicle may contain other valuables.
It's also recommended that drivers put an alarm on their vehicles. That way if a suspect attempts to break in, others in the area can be alerted.
Police said that you should always lock your vehicle, even if you're concerned about a smashed window. "A smashed window is preferable to a stolen motor vehicle," Plainville police said.
It's also recommended that you install automatic lights and a ring doorbell or some other camera system to help protect the area where you park your vehicle.
If suspects still manage to get into your vehicle, you're asked not to try and stop them yourself for your own safety. Police said to call 911 immediately and try to get as much information as possible such as suspects' descriptions and vehicles they may flee in.
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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