Auto Thefts Up Sharply; Police Launch Public Service Campaign

A new public service effort by St. Petersburg Police highlights a sharp increase in auto thefts in 2013 and the need for people to take their keys with them when they leave their cars – even for a moment.

From January-April 2013, auto thefts in St. Petersburg increased 43 percent from the same time period last year, police report. In most cases, the victims left their keys in the ignition, often with the car running.

(See the St. Petersburg Crime Map and click on the green icons to see auto thefts for the first two weeks in May.)

On Thursday, police launched a public education effort that will feature a series of videos starring the hapless fictional resident Willie Everlern, "who seems to always find a way to become the victim of a crime."

Car theft is the topic of the debut video, which shows "Willie" tossing litter from his car with abandon, in addition to leaving the keys in the ignition for thieves to make their move.

According to police, many suspects will go to convenience stores or strip malls and watch for people leaving car engines running while going inside a store for a quick purchase. The video with "Willie" shows that scenario, as well as the victim throwing his super-sized soda to the ground in disgust after his car is driven off.

According to a press release: "These types of crimes are easy to prevent and for that reason the DROP Unit members will be fanning out across the City to post signs warning drivers to take their keys with them when the shop.  They will focus on those locations that have seen the greatest frequency of these types of cases to educate the public to the problem and reducing overall auto thefts.

DROP stands for Deterrence, Response, Outreach & Prevention.

Get the St. Pete Patch newsletter delivered to your email for free. Sign up here.