Summer vehicle break-ins have police urging caution

A wave of summer car break-ins has police across the region urging caution — and locked vehicles.

At least seven communities have reported multiple car break-ins since May, most involving unlocked cars or trucks.

“It’s sporadic and its random. Throughout the years, we have upticks, then it goes away, then it comes back,” said Oakmont police Chief Michael Ford. “The biggest thing I can tell you, after 30 years of doing this, is there is no rhyme or reason. It’s usually overnight hours.

“But the biggest thing I can’t reiterate enough is lock your car, remove valuables and remove key fobs. I can tell you, we haven’t had one forced entry. It’s all unlocked cars.”

The spate of break-ins started in May in Etna, where multiple vehicles were tampered with and broken into. Police filed charges against one man, who was seen on video checking car door handles and stealing $180 and gift cards from vehicles on Marys Street and Middle Street.

Police at the time said a number of juveniles also were suspected of participating in some of the break-ins.

Then, in early June, Aspinwall police recorded 10 vehicle break-ins along Second, Third and West Eighth streets. Those break-ins were more aggressive, as multiple car windows were shattered and various items were stolen. This came after neighboring areas, including Shaler and Indiana Township, had been reporting vehicle break-ins by thieves for weeks.

In July, Leechburg, Plum and Oakmont saw a wave of car break-ins, mostly at night. Leechburg, in late July, had more than 20 cars broken into in one evening. Around the same time, Plum and Oakmont had a slew of stolen vehicles and break-ins across the boroughs, despite a social media post by the Plum Police Department in June urging residents to lock their cars.

“They look for valuables. They look for easy, easy money, and also cars that you leave the fob in,” Ford said.

More recently, during the nights of Aug. 4 and 5, O’Hara police reported a series of vehicle break-ins with at least 10 vehicles affected.

“It can be different groups. It can be locals, or it could also be out-of-town people coming in,” Ford said. “The public, they need to lock their cars, remove key fobs and remove valuables from cars. If you take away the enticement, people will quit coming.”