It’s incredibly cold in the Twin Cities metro area today, but you should think twice before you start your car and leave it unattended while it warms up. That’s because there’s been a stark increase in the number of vehicle thefts in recent weeks, suggesting that thieves are targeting unattended idling vehicles.
Authorities in St. Paul said there have been 33 reported vehicle thefts in the city since December 1, and each case involves a driver leaving the car running and unattended. The uptick in vehicle thefts led St. Paul police to issue a reminder to citizens to be cognizant of the risk they might be running by leaving their car unattended and running.
“A few minutes of being cold is better than being without your car all day or a week,” said Steve Linders, a St. Paul police spokesman.
Big Spike In Thefts Of Late
The last few days have been the most troubling for the city of St. Paul. On Thursday, four vehicles were stolen within city limits, and on Friday, three more vehicles were taken before 9:00 a.m. Linders said the most common theme in these thefts is opportunity.
“These are crimes of opportunity,” Linders said. “In many cases, it’s someone who may be waiting for a bus or walking to a destination and they see an easier, warmer way to get there, so they take advantage of it. In other instances, the cars are driven by the thieves for longer periods of time.”
In the first 11 months of the year, there have been 1,688 vehicle thefts in St. Paul, which is 33 more than through that same period in 2015. The biggest increase was in the Western District of St. Paul, which has seen a 7.8 percent increase in vehicle thefts from 2015.
The increase in vehicle thefts has led police to issue a few reminders to the public. For starters, they are asking the public to stay with their running cars to prevent thieves from having an opportunity to take them. Secondly, they are reminding people that they can be cited for leaving their running vehicle unattended, so if an officer spots your unattended and running vehicle, you may end up with a fine. So the next time you let your car warm up this winter, be sure you’re sitting in the driver’s seat while you’re waiting, otherwise you may end up with a fine, or worse.
