Cortez Police Department remind residents to lock their cars, especially as the days get longer and warmer and people are out and about. An unlocked car is a theft waiting to happen.
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Just as warmer weather and longer days
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Harold the arrival of Spring and Summer,
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so do car burglaries in the area.
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So the Cortez Police Department
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reminds residents
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to lock your cars.
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You're watching the Local News Network
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brought to you by Big O Tires and
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Whole Health Family Medicine
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I'm Wendy Graham Settle.
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When the warmer weather and
longer days arrive in Spring
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more and more people will be out and about
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and that increases opportunities
for theft from cars.
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According to Cortez Police statistics,
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residents reported 57
vehicle break-ins in 2020.
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The majority of which occurred
during Spring and Summer.
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Vehicle break-ins are
a crime of opportunity
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so, if you leave a set of circumstances
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for someone to do something, opportunity,
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they're going to do it.
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So, if your vehicles are unlocked,
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and you live in a heavy, you
know, a large residential area
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that are within walking
distance of say like,
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you know Walmart, City
Market, the city parks
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they walk through neighborhoods
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and they just randomly check car doors
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until they can find one that's unlocked.
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Or they'll look in through windows
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and if they see anything
of value, a purse,
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even loose change, any kind of money,
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electronics, cell phones,
anything like that.
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They'll break the windows,
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but typically the ones that we have,
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the doors have been left unlocked.
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Maynard knows personally
than an unlocked car
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is an invitation to theft.
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He awakened one night to find
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a stranger sitting in the family car
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parked in the driveway.
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All the thief took was spare change,
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but it was gone nonetheless.
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Maynard also encourages residents to stash
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bikes and toys out of sight
during the Summer months.
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And, more importantly...
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Under no circumstance
should you leave a weapon
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including a firearm inside your vehicle.
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Those are ones that they will
break a window for to get to
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criminals don't care
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if they can get their
hands on an illegal weapon,
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it'd be best for them
and would be best for you
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you know, not to leave
that in the vehicle.
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Make sure that stays in your home.
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For other safety tips,
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visit the Police Department's website
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at cityofcortez.com or like the Department
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on it's Facebook Page.
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Thanks for watching this edition
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of the Local News Network.
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Be sure to stay on top
of the latest stories
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that we release through Twitter,
Instagram, and our website
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I'm Wendy Graham Settle.
