According to a report from the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division, there were an estimated 721,885 thefts of motor vehicles in the U.S. last year. We aren’t surprised because we see attempts all the time.
This video shows four separate incidents where we saw suspects trying to access cars parked at apartments communities. In part one, a suspect carrying a tool was seen trying to pry open the back window of a parked vehicle around 1:30 in the morning. After several attempts, he gave up. One of our security operators was watching and called police. Officers arrived, found the culprit and took him into custody.
The next incident took place just before five a.m. A group of people was trying to open doors of multiple parked vehicles. Officers arrived within minutes of our call and made contact with the suspects. They all ran when they saw the police, however one was caught while still on the property. Using our video footage, along with information from the apprehended individual, police were on the hunt for the three remaining suspects.
In part three, we saw someone checking door handles of several cars. He did manage to open one small SUV and enter it. Our trained security operator who was watching, contacted police. Officers did find and arrest the suspect somewhere off property.
Finally, a culprit we saw appeared to be burglarizing a parked vehicle. Our monitoring operator contacted police. The individual walked away but returned to the scene shortly after. Officers arrived and made an arrest.
Car Break-ins Are Big Business
In its definition of motor vehicle theft, the FBI includes the theft or attempted theft of automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, scooters, snowmobiles and other vehicles. In 2019, about $6.4 billion was lost to theft of motor vehicles, per The Insurance Information Institute. They calculate the average loss per theft was $8,886.
Thieves aren’t always looking to steal a car, just the valuables inside. Electronic devices like GPS units, phones, tablets and computers are very popular. Also popular with thieves are air bags and catalytic converters. Both can garner big payouts on the black market.
Help Deter Car Break-ins at Your Property
Few things are more enraging to a car owner than to have their vehicle broken into. You can help protect your residents’ vehicles by taking a proactive stance with your security solution. Live video monitoring combines advanced technology with human intelligence to help stop crimes in progress. Using analytics-based cameras, trained security operators watch for suspicious activity and can act immediately to help minimize or prevent damage. Unlike security guards who are limited to what they can see, security operators can watch multiple areas simultaneously and for up to 60 percent less cost.
Your residents deserve and expect to feel safe where they live. There’s an easy and cost-effective way to provide that. For more information about live video monitoring for your multifamily community, contact us.
