Rash of Car Thefts in Maple Leaf

This summer there is unusually high number of car prowls and car thefts in Maple Leaf, our neighbors to the south. See article in Maple Leaf Life.

This is a good reminder to take precautions. What attracts car thieves is opportunity. Don’t make it easy for them.

• Don’t leave your car unlocked or the windows down.
• Don’t leave anything of value in your car, especially within view.
• Don’t leave you rkeys in teh car, or a spare key hidden in the car.
• Don’t leave your car running and unattended.
• Don’t park in a poorly lit place with low visibility; more than two thirds of auto thefts occur at night.

If your car is stolen or vadalized:

• Call 9-1-1 if it happened recently and the suspect may still be in the area.
• Call the police non-emergency number 206-625-5011 if you discover your car is missing or vandalized after a significant amount of time has passed.
• If your insurance company requires you to provide a copy of the police incident report, you may request this in person at Seattle Police Headquartes Public Request Unit or by mail. More about police records is at http://www.seattle.gov/police/records/default.htm.