The crunch of shattered glass.
The gaping hole.
Precious valuables gone.
A staggering spike in vehicle break-ins across Howard has prompted an assembly of special police squads to combat the crime trend before more motorists find their cars smashed and ransacked.
Howard police have seen a 40 percent jump in thefts from vehicles since January, totaling 2,519 reports of thefts from vehicles so far this year, compared with 1,800 reports during the same period in 2007.
Investigators have been tracking the rising trend as cases pop up all over the county, but thieves are continuing to strike despite several arrests made in Elkridge, Columbia, Ellicott City and North Laurel, police said.
The Howard County Police Department has created several special squads to patrol in undercover and marked police cars to snuff out the theft problem before more communities are targeted, police said.
But law enforcement alone can’t fight the crime, Police Chief William McMahon said.
“While we are working to identify and arrest the various people responsible for these crimes, we are asking citizens to make their cars less appealing to thieves,” he said.
“Having valuables in plain view inside a vehicle makes it an attractive target for criminals.”
The rise in thefts is partially attributed to the temptation of GPS units, laptop computers, stereos, iPods, purses, briefcases, cash and other items left in plain sight inside cars, police said.
“Let’s make it harder for the criminals,” McMahon said. “If we all are vigilant about protecting our property, our community will be less attractive and less susceptible to thieves.”
Police are conducting community crime prevention meetings and using an automated telephone Community Notification System to urge residents to take valuables indoors or lock them in the car’s trunk. Police also encourage drivers to park in well-lit areas or locked garages.
“The police department has taken great efforts to investigate and solve these cases, but they need the public’s help in preventing these crimes from happening in the first place,” County Executive Ken Ulman said in a statement.
“It will take a real partnership between law enforcement and citizens to stop this rising trend, but I believe that partnership exists.”
Howard police are asking anyone with information about car break-ins to call 410-313-3200.
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