It's just a well-known fact. Bishop and Legall said car safety starts with the owner. Legall said most of the victims told police they had left a purse, backpack or some other valuable in the car. As the vandals roam parking lots, they peer through windows, looking to see if the electric lighter has been removed from the socket. If it has, Bishop said, the suspects assume the owner is using a portable compact disc player or cellular phone.
Suspects know if the lighter's out, there's something in that car of value.
Legall said she is confident the offenders will be caught, and she points to the 86-percent recovery rate the department had in 1996. In the meantime, police said owners should use every theft deterrent they have available, including car alarms and steering-wheel locking devices. Criminals are looking for something that's fast. The tougher you make it, the less likely it is to be stolen. All rights reserved.