Chevy Chase Village was hit hard by thieves who stole iPods, GPS units and other electronics from cars last year, so police this weekend will begin making a personal plea to residents.
Starting tomorrow, Chevy Chase Village Police officers will go door-to-door on Saturday and Sunday afternoons to deliver a one-page flyer and remind residents to lock their cars.
In 2012, the town of about 2,000 residents and 0.4 square miles was home to 97 thefts from autos, a 40 percent increase compared to 2011. In October, police chief John Fitzgerald won approval for a special police bait car from the Village Board, to the tune of $3,800:
The common denominator to these thefts is the unlocked car parked overnight. I urge each of you to help us eliminate these thefts by doing a few simple things:
- Lock your car every time you park.
- Remove all valuables from your car.
- Leave your front porch light on all night long.
- Call the police whenever you see or hear anything suspicious.
Thefts from autos in 2011 were down 23 percent compared to 2011 for the entire Montgomery County Police Bethesda District, according to numbers released yesterday.
But car thieves remain a threat. There were 901 reported in 2012. A case in an unincorporated section of Chevy Chase over New Year’s Eve got some attention after a resident caught the thief breaking into cars in a driveway with a home security camera.
At least three of those cars were unlocked, police said.
