Cedar Rapids saw a rash of car thefts in June and police say part of the problem could be owners who were too trusting or too careless with their keys. Dar Danielson report :60
Cedar Rapids police spokeswoman, Cristy Hamblin says car thefts were up dramatically in June. She says they saw 34 vehicles taken, a 112% in car thefts in June into the second week of July compared to April and May together. Sergeant Hamblin says there was something else that caught their attention. “Two-thirds of all of those vehicles that were stolen, the victims didn’t make ’em work to steal the car, they left their keys in the car,” Hamblin says.
She compiled a top ten list of the reasons keys were left in the cars. Hamblin says she can understand that some people just forgot their keys, but says the other excuses were not as convincing. Especially number four: “I was too tired to carry them into the house.” Hamblin says they must have too many keys on the key ring if that’s the case.
The number one excuse : “That way I know where they are.” Hamblin says they are reminding residents to take the keys inside with them and not make it so easy for thieves. They have recovered 18 of the cars that were stolen, but Hamblin says they haven’t been able to determine if there was a single person or ring stealing the cars and are still working on the issue.
Hamblin says it’s a good possibility that the thief was breaking into the car to steal something else and found the keys and decided it would be easy to take the whole car.
The reasons given by Cedar Rapids victims for leaving keys in their vehicles:
1. “That way, I know where they are.”
2. “I don’t have to worry about losing them.”
3. “My husband always loses them.”
4. “I was just too tired to carry them into the house.”
5. “I forgot.”
6. “I didn’t think this happened in my neighborhood.”
7. “But my car was in the driveway.”
8. “I leave the keys in the ignition, so I don’t drop them when I’m opening the garage door.”
9. “There was only a little bit of gas in it.”
10. “I didn’t think anyone would want it.”