Many of you have seen the news about the epidemic of stolen vehicles and vehicles being broken into in the St. Louis area. It is important for us to do our best to prevent this from happening. Please keep your car doors locked. Remove anything of value from your vehicle. The most common items that are targeted are GPS units, cell phones, Ipods, firearms, laptops etc.
Another trend that has picked up the past two summers is the theft of lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and weed trimmers. These are crimes of opportunity. Don't leave your lawn equipment unattended in plain view from the street. Lock these items up whenever possible.
I also encourage everyone to keep a list of their valuables. Write down the brand name, model number and serial number of you electronics, tools, firearms etc. In the event these items are stolen, my officers can use the serial number to check various sources including pawn shops. Without a serial number it is almost impossible to verify the proper owner. I also want to encourage everyone to call 911 if they see something suspicious. It could be a strange car driving through your neighborhood or a subject walking by, looking into car windows. We need to know about these things so we can react accordingly. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Chief Bob Schrader
