“Put Your Junk in the Trunk”
Sgt. William Palmer 612-919-9362 william.palmer@ci.minneapolis.mn.us TO PROTECT WITH COURAGE / TO SERVE WITH COMPASSION Minneapolis Police and Downtown Improvement District announce the January 5, 2010 (MINNEAPOLIS) The Minneapolis Police Department First Precinct and the Downtown Improvement District (DID) are partnering in a theft from motor vehicle reduction strategy and education initiative dubbed “Put Your Junk in the Trunk”. Theft from motor vehicles in the downtown area, particularly in parking structures and lots, is a concerning issue. This crime is also mostly preventable. In 2010 there were 849 thefts from motor vehicles in the downtown area with an estimated loss upwards of one hundred thousand dollars. The education of the public is a key component to this initiative as they can take the most concrete steps towards successful reduction of thefts from vehicles. One small piece of this education will be the use of the City’s electronic street signage in the Warehouse District to remind people of this effort. The strategy is simple; valuables should not be left in the interior of a vehicle where a potential thief can see them. Items such as purses, wallets, gym bags, cameras, laptops, briefcases, IPods, GPS units or any other items of value should be left at home or secured in the trunk of a vehicle. Even better is to place these items in the trunk prior to arriving at your destination. While a trunk lock is fairly easily defeated a thief will target cars will obvious valuables in sight long before he or she will take the time to explore locked trunks which may or may not yield valuables for the taking. It is important that if you see someone who seems out of place or who is acting suspiciously that you call 911 immediately. Many people wait until they get to their home or office before calling. In most cases that delay means that the person whom you are calling about will be gone when police arrive. There is a very small but active group of individuals who make their living by stealing from cars. One person recently was noted to have pawned 39 items and it is suspected that most were taken from cars. However, much of that property could not be returned to the rightful owners as they did not have serial numbers to give to the police. The best defense to preventing theft from auto is to “Put Your Junk in the Trunk” but if a theft does occur having a serial number written down at home that can be provided to law enforcement greatly increases the chances of the recovery and return of your items. See the resources below to assist in making a list of valuables. For questions regarding the “Put Your Junk in the Trunk” initiative or to learn more about the DID please contact Shane Zahn at http://www.minneapolisdid.com/. For more information about crime reduction tips and strategies please contact Minneapolis Police First Precinct Crime Prevention Specialist Renee Allen at 612-673-5163 or at renee.allen@ci.minneapolis.mn.us. Resources: Home Inventory FAQ http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/crime-prevention/docs/Home-Inv-FAQ.pdf Home Inventory Form http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/crime-prevention/docs/Home-Inventory-Form.xls The PIO contact for this release is Sgt. William Palmer. # # # For questions, contact: Mary Etzioni, Crime Prevention Specialist To Protect With Courage
“Put Your Junk in the Trunk” campaign
Minneapolis Police Department, 4th Precinct
(612) 673-3364
mary.etzioni@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
To Serve With Compassion