Police Issue Alert After String of Vehicle Break-ins

The Kirkwood Police Department is warning residents to take precautions following a string of vehicle break-ins last week, in which suspects broke into nine unlocked vehicles in the course of two days.

Police began responding to the break-ins Wednesday morning after a resident from the 400 block of Greenleaf Drive reported a theft from his vehicle. When officers investigated the incident, they discovered four additional vehicle break-ins, three on Greenleaf Drive and one in the 600 block of North Woodlawn Avenue. Suspects stole electronics, two backpacks and shoes.

On Thursday, police responded to four separate vehicle break-ins beginning around 8 a.m. Suspects stole change from a vehicle in the 600 block of Knierim Place, a flat screen TV from a vehicle in the 400 block of Iris Lane, a GPS unit from a vehicle in the 700 block of Westchester Court and jewelry from a vehicle in the 800 block of Delchester Lane.

Vehicle break-ins usually become more prevalent during the summer in Kirkwood and other areas of St. Louis County, says Jim Cox, community service officer with the Kirkwood Police Department, in an email alert.

Although Kirkwood is seeing an increase in thefts from vehicles, so far the crime has not become epidemic, Cox says. Communities to the north and west of Kirkwood, however, are experiencing a large increase of thefts from locked and unlocked vehicles, according to Cox, who adds that one municipality reported more than 50 incidents in one day.

The Kirkwood Police Department offers the following tips to residents:

• Never leave a car unlocked no matter where it is parked;
• never leave anything visible in a car that might peek the interest of a thief;
• be especially vigilant when parking at daycares, as thieves are known to target cars when parents “run in” to drop off their children; and
• exercise caution when parking in large lots, as thieves can watch patrons enter a store and calculate how long they have to check out a car undetected.

The most popular items targeted by thieves include: women's purses, laptop computers, iPhones, iPods, CDs, GPS units and backpacks.

Residents should not leave garage openers in unlocked vehicles, as thieves often target vehicles in residential neighborhoods at night, Cox says.

If residents suspect they have been a victim of a vehicle break-in, or any other crime, or observe suspicious activity, they should call police dispatch immediately at 314-822-5858. They should not touch anything until an officer examines the crime scene and should report stolen credit cards, bankcards and checks to their respective company immediately.