January 22, 2025

By Kelis McGhee

There are a number of ways to reduce your risk of being robbed by a car during the holiday season.

The victim of a recent vehicle break-in and law enforcement officers on both sides the Chattahoochee river agree that you should keep valuables, such as firearms or jewelry out of your car.

Latia tolbert fired into the ground in order to defend her vehicle after it had been broken into.

“I was watching TV and my camera informed me that there was someone outside my home, but I didn’t expect any visitors. “I looked at the camera, and I saw the person coming up to my house,” said the woman.

Around 9 am, her car was broken into at home. This was her fourth break-in.

When I had locked my car, they would break the windows. Tolbert explained, “I stopped locking my vehicle and took all of my valuables outside.”

Officials have advised that you should remove valuables from your vehicle or out of view during the holiday season. These include electronics, purses and wallets.

Try not to be a victim. They’re walking through neighborhoods. These cars are being inspected. They’ll get in the car, whether or not it is locked. “They’ll break the windows,” Lieutenant Alan McCarty said.

McCarty, lieutenant in the Columbus Police Department’s property crime division and chief of its firearms unit said that guns are the most common items stolen from cars.

Then, someone breaks into your vehicle… There’s a second gun on the streets and people are using it to commit crime. He said, “Robberies, murders and other crimes.”

Capt. John Thomas, of the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, said that your cars are vulnerable when you park in parking lots, apartments, or close-knit neighborhoods. But he added, no matter where your vehicle is, you should lock its doors, as this can discourage a car thief from stealing it.

There’s an old myth that says I won’t lock my door because they will only break my windows. We want to dispel that. Always lock your doors. Thomas said, “A lot of what we discuss is crime of chance.”

Thomas did say that there was a chance they might break your windows.

McCarty says they have seen numerous reports of window breakers.

The Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, who lives across the river from the city of Charlottesville, says that he also notices an increase in vehicle break-ins around the holidays.

The mere sight of the items inside a car is enough to tempt many of them.

Jones also urged people to park their cars in areas that are well lit and to make sure they lock the doors. This will help them avoid becoming victims.

You should contact your local police agency to file a report if you are the victim of a vehicle break-in.

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