(KCPW News) Vehicle burglaries in Salt Lake City are down from last year. Detective Rick Wall with the Salt Lake City Police Department says there were more than 100 fewer car prowls reported between August and November compared to the same period in 2011. He credits this to an increase in patrols, and says the department will be out in full force through the holiday season when car prowls tend to spike.
“You’ll see them be more prevalent and more out in the open and a visual presence. And I think you will see them from foot patrol officers, beat officers to our bicycle officers, and park operation officers, that they get out and really try to enforce that,” he says.
Monday evening the Salt Lake Police Department conducted a car prowl operation, arranging decoy vehicles and undercover police around the city. Wall says while no cars were burglarized during the operation, his department will continue conducting sting operations to deter what he calls ‘crimes of opportunity.’
“We come into the city, we are outside shopping, we are parked in a parking lot for an event, or if we are parked in our own parking structure, our own garage, even for that matter parked outside our own residence on the street. Anywhere that we are we just need to be vigilant about that and we need to do our part as citizens and a community to really reduce those crimes of opportunity,” he says.
There were 324 car prowls reported between August and November of 2012 compared to 446 the same time last year.
How do you feel about this topic?
Is there anything else you think we should know? We'd like to hear your thoughts. Send us your feedback using the form below.
