By Kerstin Lopez
GUIDON staff

Many weeks ago, several Fort Leonard Wood residents became victims of numerous vehicle break-ins.

“The spike was caused by people becoming complacent because of the cold weather and forgetting to secure the vehicles,” said Sgt. 1st Class Michael Clark, military police investigator.

Cold weather and financially hard times can make some people desperate and do anything to survive through the tough times, and that’s when individuals commit thefts in order to resell the items for money, Clark said.

The break-ins were concentrated in the housing areas during the specific spurt of incidents that occurred a few weeks ago, but Clark said that in the past few months there has been an increase of vehicle break-ins across post.

To counteract the sudden increase of auto break-ins, the Directorate of Emergency Services sent out a surge of military police to the surrounding community and increased police presence in all housing areas during night hours.

“The break-ins have died down, but that does not mean that we can become complacent again,” Clark said.

Clark encourages residents to ensure belongings are secured and take valuables out of vehicles during nighttime hours.

Eleven people made complaints of their vehicles being broken into, and three individuals were questioned and linked to the “car-hopping,” said Sgt. Stephanie Patterson, military police investigator.

Patterson said many of the belongings have been identified, and will be returned to the owners soon.

Clark also emphasized that the key to combating such crimes is to stay aware of your surroundings and to report anything suspicious to the military police desk.

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-- Lock your doors.

-- If you have to leave valuables in your vehicle, lock them in your trunk or conceal them prior to arriving at your destination.

-- Leave no trace of valuables in your vehicle such as GPS docking stations, CDs, cell phone charges, etc.

-- Park in well-lit areas if possible

-- Do not leave valuables such as wallets, purses, cell phones, loose change, keys, etc. where they can be seen.

-- Do not leave items that may seem valuable to others, such as backpacks, computer bags, gym bags or briefcases

-- Do not store valuables in your vehicle longer than necessary, especially overnight

-- Report all suspicious behavior to the military police desk at 596.6141. If you observe an auto break-in, do not confront the suspect(s). Instead, call 911 and provide as much information as possible about the suspect(s).