On Tuesday 9/06 Rockville Police District Commander Elizabeth Hattenburg and several members of her staff met with the Poolesville Commissioners and the public. One of the hot topics was the recent spate of auto thefts in Poolesville. Commander Hattenburg reported that a juvenile individual has been charged with two of the thefts and evidence of the other thefts is expected to result in charges regarding the other thefts.
Commander Hattenburg offered some commonsense prevention techniques to avoid future auto thefts. She said that 90 – 95% of county auto thefts are crimes of opportunity.
- Close and lock your car windows and doors.
- Do not leave your keys near an unlocked window or door in your home.
- Do not leave the keys in the car, even for a short time.
- Do not keep valuables or the keys to other vehicles in the car, especially not in plain sight.
- Keep your outdoor lights on at night or install motion sensing lighting.
- A theft deterring doorbell system might help to deter criminal activity.
- Stay alert for suspicious activity.
- Watch out for your neighbors.
- Always park in well-lite areas, even in your own driveway.
- Never leave your vehicle while it is running.
- Do not inform the social media world that you are out of town.
- Have copies of your license plate and VIN number, registration and insurance in your wallet or somewhere easily accessible to you, not just in your car.
If you want to report an auto theft (not in progress) or have information or video helpful to the police call the Rockville District non-emergency telephone number 301-279-8000. You will get through to the same operators without clogging the 911 number.