YORK COUNTY, Pa. — As the weather begins to get warmer, more people are heading out to enjoy the outdoors which means more cars are left unattended.
The result is a greater amount of car break-ins.
Teddy Fisher, the assistant director of the York County Department of Parks, says car break-ins had been happening on occasion, however, at a soccer game earlier this week, several cars were hit.
"There were different park visitors in the park at that time, but there were four of them that came back and found broken out windows and belongings missing, purse, wallet," said Fisher.
The York County Department of Parks wrote a post on their Facebook page to alert drivers of the importance of taking their valuable items with them and/or hiding them. In addition, Fisher said, all of these points are key before heading into the parking lot of the respective location.
"There could be someone sitting in the parking lot waiting and looking to see you do that and they can still break in and find it," Fisher said.
Car break-in incidents can occur in many places and some landlords in the York County area have alerted their residents of car break-in attempts in their parking lots.
Marcel Forrest, a resident of York Hill Apartments, was on high alert after receiving an email from his apartment office earlier this year:
"This morning we had a resident inform the office that over the weekend three males in a white sedan tried to obtain entry into the vehicles, by pulling on vehicle door handles, on the H-L side of the community. Luckily the residents scared the criminals off."
Forrester said, "[I] just try to make sure I lock the doors whenever I go out," make sure I don't leave anything valuable in there and hope no one robs me."
Remaining extra vigilant when leaving any vehicle unattended will aid in preventing incidents like this.