The Platte County Sheriff’s Office reports an increase in reports of theft from vehicles in the Northland. This has been a problem in St Joseph as well. It should be noted that most of the vehicles were left unlocked, including those parked at local businesses, stores, and homes.
Platte County Sheriff Mark Owen stated, “We want to remind residents to secure your vehicles, even when you step into a store for a brief moment.
“All it takes is a few seconds for someone to steal your personal items from your vehicle. We encourage people to keep their vehicles secured even when it is parked in the driveway of their residence.
Many thieves look for an easy opportunity to steal.”
In addition, Sheriff Owen stated it is a good idea to record serial numbers of your personal electronic devices in case those items are stolen, or go missing. The theft of items such as; GPS devices, cell phones, tablets, etc. are an easy target for criminals to steal and sell to friends or businesses to make some quick money.
The sheriff says you should keep a list of serial numbers, make, and model numbers at home for an easy reference when you need to make a police report or when you speak with your insurance company. Law enforcement officials can enter serial numbers into the computer system, which will assist in tracking down devices if they are sold at stores. In the case of residential burglaries, it is also a good practice to record serial numbers for larger items such as; televisions, firearms, computers and the like.
Another helpful idea to consider in the event a person has their wallet or purse stolen/lost is to know exactly what personal information you have that has gone missing. You can start with making a list of the credit/debit cards in your wallet or purse. Record your bank information, credit/debit card numbers and contact numbers for your bank or credit card company in order to quickly cancel those cards and report suspicious activity.
You should keep this sensitive information in a secured area that only you can access.