Moorhead Police see rise in car break ins, thefts

(Moorhead, PD) -- There has been a rise in car break-ins and thefts in Moorhead recently, and the police department is hoping to put people in the line of fire on notice.

"This generally happens in highly populated areas," said Moorhead Police Captain Deric Swenson on WDAY Radio's Bonnie and Friends. "It's even happening when people go into a convenience store and leave their car on for a minute. The criminal will see that and hop in."

Swenson cited several recent instances of break-ins, including one involving a juvenile in an area parking garage.

"It's a shame when you can identify the person because they're a previous offender," said Captain Swenson. "In this case, the juvenile was in the garage and hit several cars. We are more often then not though able to catch them and solve the problem before it gets worse."

Captain Swenson did issue a few tips for those in some of the higher-impact areas that are experiencing some of these break-ins. He added keeping your doors locked and windows closed when not in your car, turning it off and locking it when going to the store and keeping valuables either out of sight or out of your car in general can deter criminals from targeting your property.