SALISBURY, N.C. Local Charlotte News – The Salisbury Police Department is cracking down on a recent increase in car break-ins, many of which they say could have been avoided.
Since Aug 1., the department reports 72 larcenies from vehicles. Of those, 57 were unlocked.
What has officers are most concerned about is what’s being stolen from these vehicles. Of the 72 cars broken into since the beginning of August, 21 had guns inside of them. Only one of those 21 cars was locked. A total of 23 guns were stolen.
“Any gun that is stolen has a potential to be used in a crime. And nobody wants that,” said Salisbury PD Sgt. Russell DeSantis.
The statistic has many Salisbury residents concerned.
“That’s a little scary,” said Erika Carrillo. “You can lock [my car] by pressing a button, and I always carry my keys. So, it’s convenient. But when I don’t have my car and I drive my husband’s, it’s very difficult to remember to lock it.”
Sgt. DeSantis says unlocked vehicles are “crimes of opportunity,” and lead to higher rates of break-ins. He suggests never leaving any items in plain sight, always locking up, and never leaving guns inside cars.
“We’re very concerned about the number of weapons taken. Again, we want to reemphasize that a car is never a safe place to leave a gun. However, if you do, they do sell equipment and safes — vehicle safes that can be mounted,” he said.
The department has made a few arrests in the recent car thefts but is still working on catching all the suspects. They’re asking the public to report all break-ins, even if nothing was taken. They say they are using nearby cameras, including doorbell cameras, to find and catch criminals.
