According to the Munster Police Department's weekly police blotter, the town had five reports of attempted thefts or successful thefts from vehicles during the past week, almost all of which involved unlocked vehicles. In fact, 43% of our theft from vehicle incidents during the first quarter of this year involved unlocked vehicles while only 21% of them were kept locked.
In addition, during the first quarter we had 14 theft from vehicle incidents which was almost three times the number that we had during the same time period the previous year, and following four straight years of steadily decreasing (12 in 2016, 10 in 2017, 9 in 2018, and 5 in 2019). The other crime categories (robberies, burglaries, total thefts, etc.) went down from previous years, however.
Residents are asked to always LOCK YOUR VEHICLES and to REMOVE ALL VALUABLES from plain view. These types of items include purses, backpacks, jackets, cell phones, laptops, and even loose change. Thieves will often check to see if your vehicle is locked and if they see valuables inside, may also break the window to access them.
Residents should also attempt to park in well-lit areas when possible, preferably in your driveway if you have one, and in view of any video surveillance equipment that you may have installed at your residence. Please also keep your garage doors closed and locked when not in use, and to keep your vehicles locked up even if they secured inside of the garage.
Always make sure to LOCK YOUR VEHICLE AT GAS PUMPS even if you are standing just outside of it pumping gas. We have had issues in the past with individuals removing purses or other valuables from inside of vehicles while the owner is distracted while pumping gas. Please follow these important safety tips to protect your valuables throughout the year.