Grosse Pointe Farms Police Say Shut, Lock the Garage

police are asking residents to make an effort to close their garage doors. The department has received more than half a dozen reports about thefts from open garages of lawn equipment in the last two weeks. 

In at least two of the cases, which are spread throughout the Farms, victims provided similar descriptions of a person leaving the area about the time they notice the thefts, Deputy Director John Hutchins said. 

The description is very basic without much detail but very similar--including information in one about a beige colored getaway car, Hutchins said. Among the stolen items are weed whackers, lawn mowers, edgers and more. 

Open garages are "crimes of opportunity," he said, noting how easy it is for someone to walk in unnoticed and leave with a few extra items. Hutchins compares it to leaving cars unlocked and valuables lying on the front seat--locking it up would be a deterrent, he said, because most would walk away when they realized they couldn't get in. 

One case has been reported this week involving actual effort by the thief, he said. A shed was broken into and the lock on it was cut but Hutchins said that case is unlike the others and probably targeted by someone with knowledge of what was inside the shed. 

In that case, either it's someone who knows the shed or it's someone who has been driving around in the day and paying attention to what residents are doing, Hutchins said. A boat motor and a weed whacker were stolen from the shed, he said.

From a police standpoint, it's much easier to help those who help themselves, Hutchins said. A great deal of crime could be eliminated in the Farms if residents got in the habit of locking up--their car, their house and their valuables, he said. 

Meanwhile, detectives from the Farms and are still investigating from earlier this year in which the thieves targeted navigation systems of high-end vehicles.