Sheriff's Office: Secure Your Vehicles

After several South Riding car break-ins resulted in the suspects entering homes via garage door openers, the sheriff's office has issued an alert to residents to be vigilant about securing their homes and possessions.

During the same evenings as those South Riding incidents, which appear to have involved the unauthorized entry of at least five vehicles and two homes, someone entered the car of a Belmont Greene home along Nightwatch Street. On this occasion, too, a garage door opener was removed from the vehicle, which was unlocked in an opened garage.

The sheriff's office suggests the following:

• Keep your vehicles locked
• Remove all items from you vehicle, including garage door openers; or put items out of site or in a locked truck or glove box
• Hide GPS units and any signs that one may be in your vehicle
• Park inside your garage and keep your garage locked, or park in a lighted area if possible
• Register high-value items, such as GPS units and MP3 players, and keep the serial numbers where you can find them if the items are stolen