DCPD says car break-ins up from last year

(ALBANY, GA) – Dougherty County is the latest in our area to see a rise in cars being broken into, with the county’s police seeing an increase from even a year earlier.

“Compared to last year, and this year, we definitely didn’t have as many around this time, but we’ll definitely see an influx around the holiday season,” says DCPD Lt. David McVey.

It’s been a crime of opportunity that’s been prevalent throughout the summer, with Lee County recording nearly two dozen car break-ins over a weekend.

In Dougherty County though, how and why these crimes happen in any ordinary parking lot can be as simple as opening the door.

Lt. McVey explains, “Mostly what they’re going after is change, loose change, money, guns; stuff they can easily get and turn over or sell later on.”

While the holiday season may be a few months away, the Dougherty County Police wants people to make sure that they’re taking every step they can to protect their valuables, and this goes beyond simply taking everything out of your car.

Lt. McVey tells us, “Park it into a lighted area, where it’s not in a dark corner, where someone under cover of darkness can come up and break into your vehicle.”