Dearborn Police advise residents to keep
valuables in vehicles out of sight

With the onset of spring, Dearborn Police remind residents to take steps to protect themselves from being the victim of a crime of opportunity.

Residents should keep their vehicles locked, keep valuable items, such as GPS units, wallets, and purses out of view or secured in their homes or place of business while the vehicle is parked. Items left in plain view make easy targets of opportunity.

Items of particular interest to thieves are small, easily accessible items, such are GPS (Global Positioning System) devices, which use satellite information to pinpoint one’s exact location and guide drivers to their destination.
GPS devices are usually attached to the, windshield and are therefore easily seen by onlookers passing by. They are expensive, ranging between $300 and $800. They can be stolen from a vehicle more easily than other electronics, such as radios or cd players.

Residents should be mindful so they can take proper precautions and reduce the possibility of becoming a victim. For more crime prevention information, call 943- 2240.

Police also encourage residents to watch out for one another by reporting any type of unusual activity in their neighborhoods and call police if something doesn’t seem quite right, like a car repeatedly driving around. Residents can call anonymously to the Neighborhood Watch Hotline at 943-3030.

“We are always glad to check out a situation if a resident has a concern,” said Chief Michael Celeski.

“We’d rather come out and determine that everything is OK than wait until a crime has occurred because no one called us because they didn’t want to get involved,” he said. “If something seems odd, it’s OK to alert us to what could turn out to be an innocent activity. We will find out when we are on the scene.
“Working together with our residents, we can keep Dearborn a great and safe place to live,” said Celeski.

As always, for emergencies or to report a crime in progress, residents should call 911.