Thefts from Vehicles Increasing in the Falls

From the beginning of December and into January, police have responded to more than 20 thefts from vehicles throughout Menomonee Falls.

“There’s definitely an increased number of thefts from vehicles in Menomonee Falls,” said MFPD Captain Mark Waters. “We always encourage people to lock their vehicles, and remove valuables from plain site.”

Waters said thefts from vehicles seem to be more prevalent in the northern corridor of Appleton Avenue.

The first line of defense is to lock the doors on your vehicle. The MFPD police reports contain numerous accounts of suspects stealing property from cars with unlocked doors. On , $2,018 in personal property including a diamond ring was stolen from an unsecured vehicle.

Waters said residents should go further than just locking the door. All property should be placed in either the glove compartment or the trunk. Even if items are concealed in a backpack, shopping bag or underneath something, it may still be enough to encourage a criminal to take a chance.

“They look into a car and see a duffel bag, a purse, or bag and they’ll take a chance that there is something inside there,” Waters said. “We don’t see many cars getting broke into because people think there might be something in the glove compartment or trunk.”

Waters said it’s difficult for police solve these types of crimes. In most thefts from vehicles, eyewitnesses weren’t present to report a suspect, surveillance video isn’t always available and there is usually a lack of physical evidence for police to investigate.

“We need the help of the citizens to prevent it from happening in the first place, and the help of the citizenry to report suspicious activity,” Waters said.

Waters said residents could help police by reporting any suspicious activity they see in parking lots. A physical description of the person, a vehicle description and a license plate number if possible will all help police identify a potential criminal.

However, locking vehicle doors and concealing all property within a vehicle is an effective and simple way to help reduce the occurrence of this crime in the village. Despite the tight-knit community in Menomonee Falls, incidents like these are still a reality.

“There’s no doubt that thefts do happen in our community,” Waters said. “We always want to reduce the level the crime, and for people to think they are immune from crime, no matter where they are, is naïve.”