When In Doubt, Take It Out

I t seems that every summer, some unfortunate local car owners return to their vehicles, day or night, to find that the vehicles have been broken into and are missing some of their personal possessions.

As Dayton reporter Morgan Smith's story in this week's edi- tion reveals, car owners in Columbia County are no exception. But statistically, there may be some good news: car prowls are down in the Dayton area and many parts of the country, according to law enforcement authorities. We'll get to that further down.

For now, it's worth repeating how most car break-ins can be avoided. Suffice it to say that the easiest way to keep your vehicle from being violated is to stop using it as a storage locker. Even your trunk may not be safe and even locking it may not stop a crime.

Car manufacturers have been trying for decades to make ve- hicles more secure. But a quick Google search produces plenty of video demonstrations and reports on break-in methods, from the simple use of a tennis ball to a lock encryption decoder.

Breaking glass silently is equally simple with the use of an object of a harder material like the ceramic from a spark plug. Most thieves are quick enough to run with their loot before you or anyone else pays attention to the car alarm going off.

If you're on the receiving end of a car prowl, this isn't a good summer for you. But statistically, it appears to have been a better summer in Columbia County. The trend in the west as a whole has been good in recent years when it comes to vehicle break-ins, ac- cording to the FBI.

Columbia County car owners reported nine fewer prowls from January to August this year compared to last year: 21 in 2012 com- pared to 30 a year ago, according to Sheriff Walt Hessler.

Last year, car prowls in the Western states were down almost 1 percent from 2010 after falling several percentage points the previ- ous four years, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report.

Hessler attributes the local decline to more active law enforce- ment efforts. Apprehending suspected car prowlers makes a big difference since many of these crimes are committed by a single or just a handful of individuals.

Just this weekend, police in Richland arrested a 20-year-old sus- pect whom they believe to be responsible for "dozens and dozens" of prowls, an activity he resumed after a previous conviction. He received a two-year prison term, so area residents may brace for a new surge of prowls after he has been released.

The Columbia County jail too has one inmate accused of vehicle prowls, which may explain a lighter summer for such offenses.

But we propose that you do not take any chances as a car owner.

Car owners are always more vulnerable in the summer. They travel more and thus carry more items in their vehicles. They leave the windows rolled down and, all too often, the doors unlocked. They leave their vehicle parked out of sight while attending back- yard barbecues, swimming at the pool or helping in the fields.

In Dayton in particular, there are locations where you don't want to do that. Morgan's piece points out that a quarter of all car prowls since early 2011 occurred on Second Street with Third, Jackson, Dayton and Patit making up another quarter of the incidents.

In general, day cares have been targets, ball game parking lots and vehicle strips that are shielded from view by trees or vegetation.

But prowlers can hit anywhere any time, even in broad daylight. While you may be relaxing on a hot summer day, the prowlers are not on vacation.

According to the Seattle Police Department, someone can break into a parked car in less than 30 seconds and be done with the crime in less than two minutes.

Law enforcement officials have some simple advice for car owners: always roll up your windows and lock your doors; don't leave valuables out in the open or, better yet, take everything out; and don't leave your car running (while walking up to an ATM, for instance).

They also point out that prowlers are no longer just after your stereo or other entertainment electronics you may have plugged into your dashboard. They're just as likely to make off with your credit cards and bank cards or use other documents from your wallet for identity theft.

The police motto goes: "When in doubt, take it out."