Car break-ins tend to be more frequent toward the end of the year in Wichita.
The last two months of 2016 saw an 8 percent increase in the frequency of car break-ins compared to the rest of the year, according to data provided by the Wichita Police Department. Previous years also saw a rise.
Lt. Chris McAuliffe with the Wichita Police Department says car owners can best avoid break-ins by not making their cars a target of opportunity.
“What I mean by target of opportunity is if someone sees something laying readily available — a purse, a wallet, a computer bag — that peaks the interest of a lot of the thieves that we run into here in Wichita," McAuliffe says.
Instead, pack valuables, like holiday shopping bags, out of sight in the car's trunk. Parking in well-lit areas can also help.
It can also be tempting to leave an unattended car running with the keys in the engine as the days get colder.
"[It's] an open opportunity for someone to come in and steal your car," McAuliffe says. "And unfortunately that happens more frequently than you would imagine."
McAuliffe says a thief will likely move elsewhere if drivers make their cars less tempting.
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