Auburn police inform fans on how to reduce game day crimes

Auburn, Al.

With the onset of football season on The Plains, Auburn police are encouraging fans to

follow a few basic precautions to protect themselves on gamedays from would-be auto burglars.

“Lock it or lose,” said Auburn Police Division Capt. Tom Stofer. “If you leave the vehicle unsecured, it makes the ‘getting’ a lot easier.”

During the past weekend, Auburn police documented at least six incidents of unlawful breaking and entering a motor vehicle.

However, in several of the reports of vehicle burglaries taken by Auburn police, the vehicles were left unsecured, Stofer said.

What that amounts to, in most cases, is a crime of opportunity.

“When a burglar breaks a glass out of a vehicle, they can draw attention to themselves, so in many cases, they’ll go through a parking lot and wiggle a number of door handles until they find those that are unsecured,” Stofer said.

“The second priority for vehicle owners before walking away from their parked cars is to get the valuables out of sight,” Stofer added. “Under the seat or in the trunk, just get them out of sight.”

“Very rarely does someone break a window out of a car or jimmy a door lock to get in a vehicle and rummage around,” Stofer said. “Normally, they’ve looked into the vehicle, see something of value and then enter the vehicle.”

Among the items that were taken in this weekend’s vehicle burglaries in Auburn were cash and small electronic items, just the type of fare car burglars are looking for.

“They’re looking for GPS devices, high-end stereo equipment and book bags, purses and wallets left in vehicles,” Stofer said. “A lot of times, people will take their valuables out of their pockets and lay them on the center console, and if that can be seen from the outside of the vehicle, it certainly makes it a target for theft.”

Stofer has the same advice for fans with recreational vehicles and campers.

As always, Auburn police are out in force during football games in areas inside and around Jordan-Hare Stadium, Stofer said.

“We’ll do our very best to protect your valuables while you’re at the game, but we can’t go it alone,” Stofer said. “We need the cooperation of all the fans.”

 Tips

» Keep vehicles locked and windows fully up at all times.

» Remove valuables from vehicle or keep them out of sight.

» Don’t trust window tint to hide your valuables.

» Consider purchasing a car alarm or other anti-theft device.

» Park in well-lighted and heavily-travelled areas if possible.

» Report suspicious activity in parking areas to police immediately (call 911 for crimes in progress).

» Valuables frequently targeted by thiefs include backpacks, brief cases, wallets, purses, computers, GPS systems, radar detectors, portable music players, loose change, etc.

Source: Auburn Police Division