A Year of Car Break-Ins
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
View Car Break-Ins in Ditmas Park in a larger map
Because many of you mentioned it in the comments the other day, I put together a map of car break-ins that have been reported either to this blog, in the comments, or on the Flatbush Family Network or the Kensington/Windsor Terrace group over the past year. This is not a complete list, of course; it’s just based on your input.
As many people mentioned, even if it seems like a hassle, please report a break-in to the police. You can contact the 70th Precinct at 718-851-5511, or you can stop in to the Precinct at 175 Lawrence Ave to file a report.
Deputy Inspector Eric Rodriguez has brought up the topic of car break-ins multiple times at meetings over the past few months. There’s only so much you can do, especially since in many of these incidents on the map nothing was stolen from the car. However, he’s suggested several precautions you can take to prevent break-ins, including not using suction cups on your windshield for GPS systems, not keeping anything of value visible (or hidden, for that matter) in the car, and always remembering to keep it locked, even if it’s parked in a garage or driveway.
Finally, keep an eye out. If you see someone doing something suspicious near a car, and as DI Rodriguez says, “It makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up,” don’t hesitate, just call the cops.
Edited to add: Neighbor Nathan Thompson, a member of the 70th Precinct Community Council, writes in to note that he’s heard an increased number of car break-in complaints in the past month. In particular:
A couple of nights ago our CIS security guard in Prospect Park South interrupted a car break in and chased the thief. The thief ran to a waiting getaway car and took off. The CIS guard chased until he found a police car and let them take over but the guys got away. The idea of a getaway car from what we think of as a petty crime seemed confusing at first.
But I have been putting out some feelers on this subject and learned that recently we have in this area a team of guys going around, breaking into cars but not to steal what you might think. They are passing by the Nintendos and tools in the back seats, to go through the glove compartment. They are looking for your car insurance, and any ID or personal information in your glove compartment to steal your identity.
If you’ve had an experience like that, where nothing seems to have been stolen, and you didn’t happen to report it, keep an eye on your credit, to make sure your identity has not been stolen.
Since so many of these break-ins seem to, on the surface, have had nothing stolen, and people may not have reported them, he’s hoping to hear from the neighborhood to get a better idea of what has actually been going on. If that sounds like something you’ve experience, particularly since September, take a look at the map–if you’ve commented or emailed, it may already be up there, but if not, let us know in the comments.
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Ditmasresident
