SAN FRANCISCO—The city of San Francisco has seen a 105 percent increase in car break-ins in the month of May 2021 compared to May 2020. The San Francisco Police Department’s Central Station reported the highest increase of car break-ins at 753 percent.
The SFPD Park Smart Campaign promotes car break-in safety with the slogan “if you love it, don’t leave it.” Two officers from the SFPD Park Station passed out over 100 Park Smart flyers regarding car break-in safety tips on June 30, SFPD posted via Twitter.
Car break-in thefts are less likely to occur if no valuable items can be seen through the windows, according to San Francisco’s Safety Awareness For Everyone (SAFE) cooperation. Vehicle safety habits can lessen the chance of a car break-in.
Six theft and break-in safety habits from SFSAFE include: remove all valuables from the car, lock all car doors and close windows completely, remove all personal papers and information from the car, park in a well-lit area, remove any spare keys in or on the car, and never leave garage door openers inside the car.
In the event of a car break-in, victims are advised to report the incident to the police and provide detailed information about the vehicle or stolen items, according to SFSAFE. License plate numbers, unique features of the vehicle, and items of value in the vehicle can help officers identify stolen property.
