Pittsburgh police issue warning after almost 50 vehicles stolen in city last month

Pittsburgh police have issued a warning after they said almost 50 vehicles were reported stolen in the city last month.

At least 16 vehicles were left running and unoccupied with the keys inside, police said. Of those, seven were left unattended by people warming up their vehicles due to cold temperatures, who “came back minutes later to find them stolen,” according to the department’s Facebook page.

Nine vehicles were also stolen from gas station parking lots, restaurants or businesses while people went inside to pick up orders.

“People start their cars to warm them up in cold weather and go back in their homes, or delivery drivers are parking outside of establishments to pick up deliveries or drop off deliveries and leave their vehicles running,” Pittsburgh Police Sergeant William Vollberg said in a video posted on the department’s Facebook page.

Vollberg referenced one street, which was not identified, where four vehicles were stolen during the week of Jan. 24.

Police are encouraging people to call 911 if they witness someone illegally entering a vehicle.

“We are asking, please, take your keys with you when you exit your vehicle, take your key fobs with you when you exit your vehicle and lock your doors,” Vollberg said.

Across the state, more than 11,000 vehicles were reported stolen in 2019, according to the Pennsylvania Auto Theft Prevention Authority, an organization that consists of police officers, state troopers, detectives, prosecutors, paralegals and support staff.

Of those thefts, 10% were reported in Allegheny County, according to an annual report from the organization. Philadelphia County had the largest number of thefts in 2019, accounting for 41% of stolen vehicles in the state, the report shows.