In the past few weeks, there has been a jump in the number of
auto burglaries in the city, according to Morgan Hill police Cmdr.
David Swing.
Morgan Hill – In the past few weeks, there has been a jump in the number of auto burglaries in the city, according to Morgan Hill police Cmdr. David Swing.
“We’ll be doing some things as a department that I don’t want to put out there to the public, for obvious reasons,” Swing said. “We are looking at this very seriously.”
In the meantime, the Morgan Hill Police Department is urging community members to put valuables out of site in their vehicles, even if their doors are locked.
Thieves have been shattering windows to get into locked vehicles, usually overnight, although some have been bolder, breaking in during the daytime hours. The burglaries are usually clustered in areas, such as the recent group of vehicles parked at the Community and Cultural Center, the soccer complex on Condit Road and “motel row” on Condit Road.
“If you’re going to a soccer game, you might not want to worry about taking your purse because you’ve got your umbrella, your folding chair, but if you leave it in the car, put it in the trunk or at least out of sight under the seat,” Swing said.
One problem, he added, is that many people drive SUVs or vans that don’t have trunks. People put their valuables in the back, thinking they are safe, but they can be seen, and criminals break in to steal them.
“If you can’t secure it out of sight, take it with you,” Swing said.
This past weekend, there were four auto burglaries at the soccer complex, four at Monte Vista apartments and two on Caputo Drive between Friday night and Saturday morning.
One twist police are seeing is a number of GPS and satellite radio systems being stolen from vehicles. Purses, cameras, laptops, cell phones and iPods are also popular among thieves, something they can quickly turn into cash, usually involving supporting a drug habit.
