BPD warns community of increased car thefts

The Bloomington Police Department has responded to 481 incidents of theft from vehicles so far this year, a 42 percent increase from last year’s 337 during the same time period.

BPD released an advisory with statistics from 2011-12 and cautioned Bloomington residents to avoid becoming part of the recent statistics.

“We have said before that there are steps you can take that might keep you from being a victim of a crime, and that holds true for theft from vehicle incidents,” Bloomington Police Chief Michael Diekhoff said in a press release.

“Locking your car and not leaving anything of value visible to thieves almost seems too simple to believe the impact it can have on reducing these types of incidents,” Diekhoff said

BPD analyzes the information provided in the report, including occurrence and location of the theft.

According to the release, IU students fall victim to car theft incidents because often they park in high-density apartment complex and dormitory parking lots, which are easier targets for theives.

Common stolen items include wallets, purses, laptops, GPS devices, cell phones, iPods,  backpacks, golf clubs and loose change.

Additional officers are assigned to the areas identified, according to the
release.

Officers are urging the public to take the steps necessary to secure vehicles and avoid incident.

— Michael Majchrowicz