Joe Loudon • COMBAT Communications Administrator

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022

For car thieves c-o-l-d spells "opportunity."

Stolen car reports rise significantly whenever the temperature falls. Car thieves are on the prowl during the winter months, looking for vehicles that have been left unoccupied but with their engines running. There is no safe place to leave a running car unattended—not in your own driveway or in a store parking lot.

Resist the temptation to start your vehicle, then run back inside while it is heating up. You risk coming back outside to find your car is long gone.

It Only Takes A Few Seconds

You might think, "I'll only be a minute," but realize a thief may only need a few seconds to get behind the wheel of your car and drive away. IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!

Stolen Cars Often Used For More Severe Crimes

And while you might have insurance to cover your loss, please realize stolen cars are often used to commit even more severe and often far more violent crimes, including robberies, abductions and sexual assaults.

Oridinances Against Leaving An Idling Car Unattended

Also, many cities have an ordinance against leaving a car left alone with its engine running. You could be given a ticket. (Rarely do police officers give a person whose vehicle is stolen under these circumstances a citation. They figure the person has learned their lesson the hard way.)

So, bundle up, start your engine, stay inside your car, and within a minute, you can be on your way, warming up with each mile you go.