Authorities see increase in vehicle burglaries
Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - Now that school is out for summer break, car burglaries are on the rise. The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office shares tips on how not to be an easy target.
Just six months into 2023, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office has investigated over 100 vehicle burglaries. Their main concern when it comes to this type of crime is stolen guns.
“Through May of this year, we’ve had 144 vehicle burglaries and 37 of those involved guns being stolen,” Commander Gene Pittman said.
Pittman said it’s like clockwork. Come summertime, especially since kids are out of school, CPSO will see an increase in vehicle burglaries.
“Mostly what we see is crimes of opportunity,” Pittman said. “By that, I mean you’ll have mostly juveniles. The way this happens in general is, they’ll go do what we call pull-on door handles. So, they’ll go through neighborhoods, and go pull on let’s say 50 door handles.”
Pittman said there are a few things you can do to make it harder for criminals to act:
- Always make sure to put purses, bags, and other valuables out of plain view.
- Lock weapons in a glove compartment or safe, and make sure you lock your vehicle’s doors and remove the keys.
During the summer, Pittman said CPSO tries to curb the issue by enforcing curfew laws. CPSO has parents meet them to pick up their children.
“Sometimes kids sneak out or whatever but you have to be aware and try the best you can to be aware of where your kids are and what they are doing at night.”
Pittman said the sheriff’s office looks for patterns in a particular area and will add extra patrolling. They also have a specialized unit that focuses on vehicular crimes.
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