Bedford Police Urge Residents to Lock Cars After String of Larcenies

Bedford Police are probing half a dozen larcenies that occurred in unlocked vehicles parked at homes on and near Meadow Lane in Katonah.

All of the thefts took place between 8 p.m. on April 10 and 6 a.m. on April 11. Complainants reported a range of missing property: candy, a clipboard, clothing, a computer case, credit cards, a driver's license, GPS devices, liquor, a roadside emergency kit, sunglasses and wallets. The item values range from $4 to about $250.

Officials say there was an attempt to use one of the stolen credit cards. They are continuing the investigation, and encouraging local folks to keep car doors locked—with valuables out of sight.

"Theft is a crime of opportunity and the best method to prevent these types of crimes is to deny potential offenders the opportunity to commit them," authorities said in a statement, noting that "from time-to-time," larcenies do occur. "It is far easier to prevent a crime from occurring than to attempt to identify an offender after it has occurred."

Police provided the following tips:

• Always lock your car, even at home. About half of stolen vehicles are not locked, and a significant number of thefts occur in the vehicle owner’s driveway.
• Never leave your keys in your car. Roughly 20 percent of stolen cars get driven away with their own keys
• Hide your valuables. Don’t tempt a thief by leaving valuables in plain sight.
• Keep your windows completely closed when you’re not in the vehicle. An open window makes it easier for a thief to unlock your car.
• If you see something, say something. When you see suspicious or out of the ordinary activity, call the police at the time you observe the activity. Delaying a call to the police reduces the likelihood of identifying the offender.