Preventing Car Burglaries

Police Chief Eric Randall offers insight into preventing vehicle break-ins.

Over the past years, the Pensacola Police Department (PPD) has been working diligently to address a national trend of vehicle burglaries. What is a vehicle burglary? This offense occurs when someone enters your vehicle to commit a crime, most often theft.

How do you prevent a vehicle burglary? Here are some suggestions that you can do every day to help minimize your chances of becoming a victim.

■ Most burglars look for items of interest that are visible in your car. Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle once you return home, especially overnight.

■ If you must leave valuables in your car while out, place them out of sight from the exterior of your vehicle.

■ Make sure you lock your vehicle every night. Many suspects in this type of crime travel through neighborhoods checking for unlocked doors.

■ Park your vehicle in your garage, if you have one.

■ Park your automobile in a well-lit area.

■ Do not leave extra or spare keys in your car. This can result in the vehicle being stolen and used for other crimes.

■ If you have an alarm system on your vehicle, make sure you activate it.

■ Do not leave your garage door opener in plain sight in your automobile. This could potentially allow criminals to have access to your garage if they discover the opener.

What to do if your vehicle is burglarized:

1. Contact the police as soon as possible to report the incident.

2. Preserve any surveillance footage if your home is equipped with video cameras.

3. Very important! If you see something, you have to say something by contacting PPD immediately.

See Something, Say Something!

If you witness a vehicle burglary or other crime, report it by calling the Police Department—

911 (emergency)

850.435.1900 (non-emergency)