If you use Metro parking lots and garages, you may want to be more careful about leaving things in your car when you leave it for the day. According to the Washington Post, Metro Transit Police have seen a spike in car break-ins at Metro stations.
The primary targets have been stations on the Red, Blue and Orange lines. In fact, there were 19 break-ins last Thursday alone, 12 of which were at the Largo Town Center garage. But the Transit Police Deputy Chief says the increase is an “anomaly.”
“It spiked out of control,” Deputy Chief Ronald Pavlik told the Post. “We think it is the same people because traditionally…thieves usually hit two or three cars and leave. But these may be rookies or people who are greedy.”
Police describe the break-ins as “smash and grabs,” where thieves target cars that have valuables like purses, cell phones, CDs and GPS’s left in plain sight.
Pavlik told the Post that, despite the spike, auto-related offenses are on pace with the same level during the same time period last year.
To try to stem the tide, transit police will put some plainclothes officers at the affected stations and increase the visibility of officers near parking lots and garages. But police tell the Post the biggest defense is customers taking “extra vigilance” when they leave their cars.
“Don’t be an attractive target,” Pavlik told the Post. “Don’t leave anything in plain view.”
