Car Prowls Vex Victory Lane

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Ryan

Thursday night, a number of residents on Victory Lane discovered car prowls and thefts of some items. Chris said, “Woke up this morning to a open car door and a missing items from my Jeep. Friendly local car prowlers are at it again. Reminder to keep valuables out of sjght and locked inside when possible.”
Good advice. I park outside all the time and I used to keep a lot of loose change and a cellphone charger in my car. These are tempting targets for opportunists, so I cleaned out the car leaving only cloth shopping bags and an ice scraper inside.
Keep an eye out if you can, and report any suspicious activity to the police (they do keep records of activity and will react when a trend appears to be going on in a particular area).

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6 Responses to Car Prowls Vex Victory Lane

  1. John says:
    February 9, 2013 at 9:34 am

    We’ve definitely noticed some car prowling activities in the past and it’s disconcerting to say the least. Along the same lines, has anyone in the neighborhood been suspicious of gas siphoning? There have been more than a few times when my wife and I start the car in the morning and our gas tanks are suspiciously low — and neither of remember being anywhere close to needing more gas.

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  2. Ryan says:
    February 9, 2013 at 9:37 am

    Wow, gas siphoning! I haven’t heard of that occurring since the late 1970s! Don’t most modern cars have locking gas caps? Hmmm. John, I’d say make a note each night where the needle is on your gas gauge and see if this is a trend or not. Anybody else?

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  3. S. Morris Rose says:
    February 9, 2013 at 12:18 pm

    Bicycling by, I noticed a prowled vehicle in the early AM a week ago today on s/b Roosevelt at NE 105th. Given that the open door caused lit domelight and open glovebox caused lit box light, the battery was draining, so it was mildly tempting to intervene. I decided that would be imprudent so I kept rolling, but with mixed feelings.
    Thieves, please close up after your prowls. No good reason to heap a drained battery on top of the insult of a theft.

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  4. Justin Almeida says:
    February 11, 2013 at 7:54 am

    I would suggest taking out your valuables over locking the car. It might save you a broken window. I was down in Ballard outside of the Jolly Roger Taproom a couple of weeks ago and had my rear window smashed in so the prowler could steal my gym bag (complete with sweaty clothes). Never mind the ipod in the front seat.
    The rear hatch had the draw cover over everything, too. The thief broke the window, drew back the cover, and snatched the bag. It might just be better to leave the car as empty as possible…

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  5. Ryan says:
    February 11, 2013 at 8:56 am

    This was posted on the Victory Lane Block Watch:
    Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
    Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr’s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
    If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
    This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It’s a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.
    If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won’t stick around. After a few seconds, all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won’t want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
    P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can’t reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn’t hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she’ll know there’s a problem.

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  6. CRVH says:
    March 29, 2013 at 10:27 am

    If anyone sees something weird–like open car doors, open house doors when you know the person isn’t home, etc.–PLEASE DO INTERVENE.
    At least check with the person (reverse phone book or just knock on the door).
    Three people noticed that my front door was open lights on, and two knew I was away but thought that maybe I had returned. Totally NOT their fault, but someone had broken into my house.
    So call 911, call the person–do something. If it turns out to be OK, great!

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