Ashland police offer car safety tips amid rash of vehicle break-ins

Grant Ritchey, Ashland Times Gazette
·2 min read
Ashland police reported a rash of vehicle break-ins recently at a local soccer complex. Money, gift cards, purses and other items were stolen. Police say thieves are more likely to target a vehicle when valuables are left in plain sight.
Ashland police reported a rash of vehicle break-ins recently at a local soccer complex. Money, gift cards, purses and other items were stolen. Police say thieves are more likely to target a vehicle when valuables are left in plain sight.

ASHLAND – It takes about 15 seconds to break into a vehicle, especially if would-be thieves are motivated by something they see inside.

That's according to Ashland Police Department Capt. Craig Kiley, who reminds drivers such theft incidents can happen anytime and almost anywhere.

There are ways to protect yourself, however. First and foremost, lock up, say local authorities, and don't leave valuables in plain sight.

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Thieves target vehicles at Ashland soccer complex

More than $1,500 and other valuables were stolen April 30 from five vehicles parked at an Ashland soccer complex.

According to an Ashland police report, the break-ins happened at 1480 County Road 1302, between 7 and 8:30 p.m. while the vehicle owners were attending a soccer game.

Hondas, a Lincoln and Chevrolets were among the vehicles targeted. A thief or thieves broke windows to gain entry.

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Four of the five vehicles were locked, Kiley said.

Items stolen include purses, credit cards, cash, checkbooks, IDs, gift cards and a diabetic pen.

A motivated thief can gain entry into your locked vehicle within 15 seconds. Authorities advise parking in well-lit areas and not leaving valuables in plain sight.
A motivated thief can gain entry into your locked vehicle within 15 seconds. Authorities advise parking in well-lit areas and not leaving valuables in plain sight.

One vehicle's window had multiple small fractures at the base of the window, the police report noted. A small device, "possibly spring-loaded ... might have been used to shatter the window with minimal effort."

"Just a friendly reminder that you should never leave your valuables in your vehicle, especially in plain sight," police cautioned in a Facebook post. "We've had a rash of vehicle break-ins over the weekend where windows were busted out because purses were visible."

Kiley advises keeping purses in trunks, parking in a well-lit area and not leaving an excess of cash in your vehicle.

Thefts from vehicles down since 2019

Ohio's major cities reported a total of 2,746 incidents of thefts from vehicles in the second quarter of 2018, down slightly from 2017 (2,754), according to data from the Office of Criminal Justice Services.

In Ashland, theft from vehicles steadily dropped since 2019, numbers provided by the local police agency show.

  • 2019: 36

  • 2020: 23

  • 2021: 22

  • 2022: 10 (As of May 5)

The vehicles most commonly broken into are Ford, Chevrolet pick-up, Honda Civic, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Car break-ins happen at all times of the year, Kiley advises.

"Holidays, I'd say, increase the likelihood," he said.

How to keep your car safe from potential break-ins

  • Keep your car in a well-lit area

  • Don't keep valuable items in your vehicle

  • Don't carry an excess of cash

  • Make sure your car is locked

  • Hide purses, or other valuables

Reach Grant at 419-281-0581, ext. 259 or gritchey@gannett.com

On Twitter: @ritchey_grant

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Protect yourself: Here what you can do to keep car thieves at bay