Police Say Thefts From Vehicles Uncharacteristic In North Potomac; Expected To Decline

Montgomery County Police have categorized the recent rash of larceny from vehicles in North Potomac as uncharacteristic for the area.

In the MCPD crime summaries for the weeks of Oct. 3 to Oct. 11 and Oct. 10 to Oct. 18, there were 21 reported cases of thefts from vehicles.

MCPD spokesperson Angela Cruz said the increase was "nothing extremely significant," adding the MCPD "doesn't expect [the trend] to continue."

The crime summary for the week of Oct. 17 to Oct. 25 showed a decline in thefts from vehicles, with only three reported incidents.

Cruz said she hopes residents will be more cautious when it comes to their cars and the items they leave in them.

In a press release about the , the MCPD urged residents to take the following precautions to avoid theft of property from their vehicles:

• Always lock your vehicle and roll up all windows.
• Remove valuables from your vehicle.
• If valuables must be stored in the vehicle, remove them from plain sight.
• If possible, park in well-lit and populated areas.
• Install an alarm system.
• Don’t leave spare keys in your vehicle.

MCPD listed the following items as commonly stolen from vehicles: laptop computers, portable DVD players, cellular phones, money and credit cards, handbags, purses, and Global Positioning Systems (GPS).