Lt. Craig McGuire of the St. Charles, Mo., County Sheriff’s Department has been in law enforcement for 26 years. And now he has become a victim of a crime trend: larceny frmo a motor vehicle, reports the St. Peters Journal. McGuire walked outside his home recently and saw his leather document case lying on the ground near his pickup truck. He had forgotten to lock his doors, and his iPod was stolen. “It’s embarrassing, especially for me because I preach to all the neighborhood watch groups to always lock your doors,” McGuire said.
St. Charles County – like the rest of the nation – is seeing an increase in thefts of portable electronics from vehicles. Many people use their vehicles as auxiliary offices or rolling entertainment centers, and they have become prime targets for theft. The FBI reported that thefts from motor vehicles rose 30 percent between 2000 and 2004, making it the fastest growing type of theft. Police say gadget theft is a crime of opportunity. “In essence they (thieves) are shopping,” Kuppler said. “If you don’t have any merchandise on display, they’ll move on.”
Link: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/neighborhoods/stories.nsf/stcharlescounty/news/