Leaving valuables visible in vehicles a bad idea, police say
By Nancy Needham  nancy@theacorn.com

Complacent Thousand Oaks residents are becoming crime magnets, attracting gang members from the Los Angeles area to their city and providing opportunities for local youths to also become criminals.

"Tweekers (drug addicts) and gang members are coming to Thousand Oaks because we have the good stuff and are leaving it in cars where thieves can easily look inside the windows and see it sitting there," explained crime prevention expert Senior Dep. Larry Logan.

Purses, iPods, laptops, cellphones, satellite radios, GPS systems, briefcases, cameras and other valuables are taken every day in Thousand Oaks.

If the vehicle was left unlocked and the value of the items taken is under $400, the crime is considered a theft, which is a misdemeanor. Stealing items valued at more than $400 is grand theft, a felony, Logan said. It's considered a burglary, also a felony, when a thief breaks into a locked vehicle to steal valuables.

Police officers are pushing a public awareness campaign that's so far been unsuccessful in getting the people of Thousand Oaks to lock their doors and hide their possessions. Nearby cities such as Moorpark, Simi Valley and Agoura Hills are also taking a beating with similar incidents.

Police arrested a group of gang members from the North Hollywood area who were allegedly burglarizing vehicles in Thousand Oaks. While these people were in jail, another group of gang members was in the city within a week doing the same crime in the same area, Senior Dep. Eric Buschow said.

"Criminals will come to an affluent area over a poor one," Logan said.

That is especially true if those who have the more expensive items make it easy for them. Thousand Oaks has cars everywhere filled with treasures to attract thieves. The streets and parking lots of Thousand Oaks publicize this to anyone who takes time to look inside car windows.

"It would help if people would just lock their car doors," Buschow said.

Even better, they can stop leaving valuables inside their vehicles, or at least hide them so they are not visible from outside the car, he said.

Break-ins occur in gym parking lots, shopping center parking lots and outside private homes. Many happen after dark. Sometimes burglars use a tool to pry open the doors or pop out the windows. Other times they just break the glass, using a flashlight or other object. The shatterproof car windows now break with the sound of a thud.

"They will even break into a car if they see an empty purse inside," Logan said.

But a full purse and a full glove compartment can be a jackpot of a different kind if the thief is lucky.

"Identity theft is another concern we have," Logan said.

Those who've become vehicle theft victims may find they also become victims of identity theft if the thief gets enough information from their wallet, car registration and other identifying papers inside the car.

"Hopefully no one leaves their Social Security number with their driver's license anymore," Logan said.

As if attracting drug addicts, gang members and identity thieves to Thousand Oaks from other cities isn't bad enough, Thousand Oaks residents are making crime so easy, young people who live right here are finding that opening car doors and taking expensive toys is fun.

"It's like leaving out bowls of candy for them," Logan said. "They walk by, they see it, they take it."

If we would bring the candy in and lock it up, these are not the kind of people who would break into a candy store, he said.

"Crooks are lazy, or they wouldn't be crooks," Logan said.

Another way the public can help is by keeping a record of the serial numbers on their valuables. The police have a tracking system that helps in prosecuting and recovering items. If they make a drug arrest or apprehend someone who is fencing property, the police can type in the serial numbers and it will connect the item to whenever it was lost or stolen.

After the March 14 arrest of a group of California Lutheran University student basketball players who allegedly were going around streets late at night opening unlocked cars and removing valuables, the police searched their dorm rooms on campus and found what appeared to be stolen items, Buschow said.

John Pedden, 21, Daniel Hagen, 19, and Andrew Meier, 21, were all charged with conspiracy and theft, the deputy said.

The investigation is continuing and additional charges and arrests could come from this incident.

"They were targeting unlocked vehicles, which is about every other car," Buschow said.

At the scene a portable TV, a credit card, a packet of new batteries and a flashlight were found with the suspects. Two of the suspects were found in bushes. Andrew Meier allegedly ran back to his dorm room where he was later arrested, according to Buschow.

These arrests were made because someone heard something, got suspicious and called 911, he said. But many of these crimes go unsolved even though residents hear or see someone's vehicle being burglarized.

"People aren't calling 911 like they should be when they witness a crime," Buschow said.

Police would much rather catch the thief when a crime is in progress, he said. To do that, it helps if the police have a partnership with the community.

In a Nutshell

Tips on protecting valuables 

Always lock car doors. 
    
Do not leave valuables in plain sight.
 
Keep track of the serial numbers of
cellphones, iPods, satellite radios,
GPS systems and other valuables. 

Don't keep Social Security number
with other identity information. 

Call 911 when a crime is in progress. 

Don't leave house key in car. Your car
registration has your address on it.