Remember These Car Safety Tips to Keep Valuables Safe

A snatch-and-grab car burglary in Bath recently serves as a good reminder to keep valuables out of sight, especially during the holiday season.

It's amazing how quickly it can happen. Someone notices Christmas packages, a purse, or a wallet inside a car,  breaks the glass (or finds the door unlocked), reaches in, grabs the item, and takes off. That's what happened in Bath on Saturday. Police say a 17-year-old from Columbus, Georgia reached into a window of a parked car, took out a purse, and then jumped in the backseat of another vehicle that sped off. One of the suspects in the white 2019 Kia Sorrento has been apprehended, but the others remain at large.

Keeping your valuables safe in your vehicle is always a good idea, but especially during the holidays, when thieves are preying on holiday shoppers. Along with the usual items they might find in a vehicle, they're also hoping to score some holiday presents.

So police advise always parking in a well-lit area, near other vehicles. Look around the vehicle before getting out, and stow anything valuable out of sight. If you can't take it with you, consider putting valuable items in the trunk or under the seat. Most of these incidents are crimes of opportunity so, if they don't see your valuables, they may not break in. And make sure all doors are locked and the windows are rolled all the way up.

Finally, when you get home, take all the valuables out of your vehicle and keep it locked in the driveway/garage, even when you're home. I once had a full bottle of Tide laundry detergent taken from my car, so you never know what they might steal. But car burglars typically look for cash, credit cards, CD's, electronics, or anything of value.