San Mateo Police Warn of Rental Car Thefts

The San Mateo Police Department is warning the public of a recent crime trend in which suspects target rental cars and steal valuables by smashing the windows and accessing the trunk.

A number of of such incidents have occurred in parking lots and garages, where groups or individuals from out of town may park for a meal or to shop, San Mateo Police Sgt. Dave Norris said Wednesday.

Officers, detectives, and the officers in our Crime Reduction Unit are using multiple strategies including high profile patrols, undercover and decoy operations, and surveillance to identify and arrest these bandits.

Police continue to steadily make arrests, but find a large number of groups locally and statewide are continually traveling to areas like San Mateo and other Peninsula cities with downtown areas and shopping centers with plenty of restaurants, attractions and ample parking in order to commit these crimes.

SAFETY TIPS FROM SMPD:

SMPD offers the following safety tips for this very victim profile. We encourage you to share this information with business colleagues and family/friends who are visiting and may be renting cars for their trip. We also encourage you to use these safety tips yourselves when traveling.

Continue to follow the two main rules protecting you against becoming a victim –

1. Lock and secure your vehicles ANY time you leave them.
2. NEVER leave valuables in plain view in your vehicle.

Criminals are specifically identifying and targeting rental cars, knowing that travelers often keep valuables stowed in the trunk of their rental car.

• Consider keeping your valuables with you at all times instead of locking them in the trunk, or keep your unneeded valuables secured in your hotel safe or another secure location while out for the day in your rental vehicle.
• Police Departments like SMPD rely on good data to help us identify crime hotspots.
• Report all crime to the police department, even if you are referred to online reporting.

SMPD COUNTS ON YOU AS OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO STOP AND SOLVE CRIME

For information related to any ongoing SMPD investigation, call the SMPD Detective Bureau at 650-522-7650, or contact us anonymously by voicemail650-522-7676 or text message 650-262-3473.

We count on our community to be SMPD’s “extra eyes and ears.”  Report any suspicious activity to SMPD right away via 911, or 650-522-7700.