Best plan is to play it safe, says Boulder police
On average, two to eight cars are reported missing every week in Boulder, according to Boulder Police spokeswoman Julie Brooks.
“We rejoice when a week goes by and we don’t get a single report of a (car) theft,” Brooks said. “But that doesn’t occur too often.”
Brooks said that more often than not police are able to retrieve the cars that go missing.
Often, she said, it is other police departments in other jurisdictions that find the cars that have been reported as missing here in Boulder. Currently, there are relatively few outstanding cases left in the records.
Brooks said there are a lot of situations where officers will be investigating the scene where one car was reported as missing, and they’ll find another stolen car. She attributed this to the “routine” practice among many car thieves of stealing one car, driving it for a while, and then ditching it to steal another.
“If a thief really wants to take your car, he’ll find a way,” Brooks said. There are, however, several simple things police recommend Boulder citizens do to keep their vehicles secure:
Always lock your doors. Unlocked doors are the most common cause of car theft.
Never leave your car running and unattended. Cars that have been started and then left by their owners, known to police as “puffers,” are easy targets. There is a municipal ordinance in place in Boulder prohibiting this practice.
Have someone keep a spare key, rather than hiding it in a place like the glove box.
Never leave valuables (purses, electronic equipment, etc.) in plain sight in a parked car.
“What’s important is that you don’t give a thief a reason to want to take your car,” Brooks said.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Andrew Frankel at andrew.frankel@thecampuspress.com.
