Area police want help with increased vehicle prowls
Philip
Area police want help with increased vehicle prowls
by Stacey Mulick 03/18/12
Tacoma and Puyallup police are on the prowl for thieves who have been smashing out car windows and stealing purses, electronics and other valuable items from inside.
Officers are asking residents and business owners to report the car prowls and thefts so they can better determine where the problem spots are and target their enforcement efforts.
“It gives us a better awareness of what is happening,” Tacoma Police Capt. Pete Cribbin said.
Car prowls are a “persistent problem” in the city, he said. Last week, Tacoma police received 61 reports of vehicle prowls. The thieves stole more than $21,800 worth of property.
The thieves have been striking throughout the city. Among the hot spots:
n The downtown YMCA, Ninth and A streets and in the 2300 block of Pacific Avenue in Sector One.
n The Sixth Avenue Business District, the Highland Hills area and along parts of South G Street, St. Helens Avenue and Tacoma Avenue South.
n The Red Robin plaza on South Steele Street and Winco Foods plaza on South 72nd Street.
n The area around 38th Street and Pacific Avenue.
In Puyallup, police also have seen more thefts and vehicle prowls, especially late 1990s to early 2000s Honda models.
The thieves often ride bicycles and carry backpacks, Cribbin said. They watch the large parking lots and busy corridors at all times of the day.
They look for vehicles that will provide loot – purses, iPods, computers and GPS devices left on a seat or on the floor. Or they wait for shoppers to drop off a round of new purchases in their vehicles before returning to the mall for more browsing.
“They are watching people, and they are watching the lots,” Cribbin said.
And then they strike quickly.
“They are smashing the windows out, grabbing the stuff and running with it,” Cribbin said.
He advised residents and shoppers to be aware of their surroundings when getting out of their cars and of what they leave behind.
“A lot of (the crimes) can be avoided if people (are) more careful about what they leave in their vehicles,” Cribbin said. “When you look in your car, it should be clean.”
Stacey Mulick: 253-597-8268 stacey...@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/crime
Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/18/2072972/area-police-want-help-with-increased.html?storylink=rss#storylink=cpy
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