As thefts from vehicles increase in Montgomery County, it’s scenes like this that can be maddening to officers who investigate the crimes.
‘‘I have not seen a single case where a car has been broken into where there were not valuable items in view or doors unlocked,” said Officer Marcus Dixon, the 5th District community services officer.
Property thefts from vehicles have been on the rise county-wide since summer, when the downcounty, particularly Bethesda, saw ‘‘an explosion” in vehicle larcenies, said Capt. Thomas Didone, commander of the 5th District.
‘‘The abundance of iPod and GPS systems has escalated vehicle larceny into a high-profit crime,” he said. Criminals looking for quick cash are hitting commercial parking lots during work and shopping hours – and conducting sprees outside condominium complexes and other residential developments from midnight to 5 a.m., Didone said.
He believes the problem is controllable on several fronts, and has dedicated an officer fulltime to run property theft investigations. Community reporting and prevention efforts are key, Didone said.
‘‘From my experience, what happens is when people start stealing, they either start by breaking into cars or shoplifting, which are easy to do, then move into more serious crimes,” he said.
Loads of loot
Two weeks ago, police cracked a case involving a series of thefts over several months, primarily in the Quince Orchard area of Gaithersburg.
Searching the homes of Jessica Garcia on Keeneland Circle in North Potomac and her boyfriend Gerald Wilson on Bayridge Court in Gaithersburg was like hitting the jackpot.
Hundreds of items stolen from vehicles — including jewelry, watches, cell phones, laptop computers, iPods, clothing, credit cards, wallets, book bags, CDs, digital cameras and other electronic items — were found in their homes.
The duo has been linked to thefts from vehicles in the Kentlands, West Riding, Quince Orchard and other areas of Gaithersburg, as well as in Germantown. The haul required a ‘‘show and tell” at the police station so victims could retrieve belongings, police said.
Garcia and Wilson, both 18, were charged with multiple counts of theft and Wilson was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit theft, according to police. Garcia was released on her own recognizance on Feb. 22, according to a jail spokesman. Wilson was released on an unsecured personal bond of $2,500 on Feb. 25.
Easy targets, easy money
Practiced thieves ‘‘know that they have about 30 to 55 seconds to get in-and-out,” Boyce said. They roam a parking lot and pick five to 10 vehicles containing high-value items before selecting one or two that will bring the highest yield.
‘‘They actually call it car-shopping, like window-shopping,” he said. ‘‘GPS systems are the main target, iPods, anything of value they can see.”
An active credit card can mean ‘‘a $5,000 win,” said Boyce. Electronics stolen from cars in the Milestone parking lot could be hocked at a pawn shop less than a mile away, where a broker said a GPS, which runs $250 to $800 retail, can be resold for $150 to $300.
Residents leave doors unlocked, as was the case in at least 47 of the 177 auto larcenies that have occurred in the upcounty’s 5th District, mostly in Germantown, since Jan. 1, crime analyst Stephanie Hansen said.
Denise Dean, who lives near Lakeforest mall in Gaithersburg, is vigilant. ‘‘I always lock my doors and I hide my keys. I don’t even put my GPS up.” She leaves ‘‘nothing important” or of value inside, she said.
And Al Tice of Gaithersburg used to leave his car doors unlocked until he learned about an upswing in thefts from vehicles from his homeowners’ association. But ‘‘not anymore,” he said.
Heads up, pay attention
County police have begun sending postcards to owners of vehicles spotted in parking lots and along streets with high-dollar items in plain view, encouraging them to be more aware and cautious.
‘‘We were looking for a way to be proactive, rather than reactive to a problem,” said Officer Diane Tillery, the 6th District community services officer.
Since Nov. 1, she has distributed more than 12,000 cards and is working with Neighborhood Watch groups to explore other distribution methods.
The 5th District also distributes microfiber cloths to remove the rings that GPS systems can leave on dashboards or windshields, a sure sign there might be something of value hidden in the car, Didone said.
Just two weeks
Reported thefts from vehicles from Feb. 12 to Feb. 27
District 1, Rockville: 25
District 2, Bethesda: 36
District 3, Wheaton: 38
District 4, Silver Spring: 43
District 5, Germantown: 34
District 6, Gaithersburg: 52
Source: Montgomery County Police
Protectyour property
Remove GPS systems, cell phones, iPods, chargers and cords
Wipe away GPS suction mark with microfiber cloth
Do not leave valuable items in plain view
Register products with manufacturers
Keep list of serial numbers, makes and models
Lock your doors
