Full Notification

(HOUSTON, TX) - The holiday shopping season is here, and as you comb the malls and shopping centers for good deals, thieves are doing the same but in your vehicle!

The Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO), along with the Texas Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority (ABTPA), a division of the Texas Department of Motor
Vehicles, reminds drivers that a vehicle is burglarized every two minutes and stolen every eight minutes in the state.

These crimes can escalate during the holiday season.

During these times, drivers are more likely to leave belongings within view inside vehicles. The hustle and bustle of the season may also cause drivers to become negligent in locking doors and taking keys. To make
matters worse, a thief won’t necessarily stop with taking your vehicle and the things inside. They may also look for personal documents and items that can help them steal your identity or gain access to your home, where they can burglarize additional property.

Auto burglars are more likely to scout malls, shopping centers, entertainment venues, hotels, and other business
parking lots this time of year looking for opportunities to break into vehicles. The HCSO reminds the public that almost anything left inside a vehicle can be valuable to
a thief. And when vehicles are left unlocked and unattended, drivers are inviting thieves to walk away with everything they see inside.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, thieves committed 214,294 acts of vehicle burglary and stole 65,671 vehicles in Texas during 2013. In some jurisdictions, more than half of the vehicles stolen had unlocked doors and keys left inside.

So remember, HIDE, LOCK, TAKE. Remove belongings from view, secure your vehicle, and never leave the keys inside.

See something? Say something!

iWatchHarrisCounty is the HCSO’s free mobile phone app that allows the public to report suspicious persons and/or activity anonymously, anywhere, any time.

For more information please visit www.iWatchHarrisCounty.com.

We watch Harris County and so should you.