Lee’s Summit Police watching trend on stolen trucks
Posted by GSDispatch Editor in by Lee's Summit Police Department
The Lee’s Summit Police Department is investigating a recent trend in thieves stealing large pickup trucks, specifically Ford trucks. Since September 1st of this year, there have been nine (9) separate incidents of stolen trucks within the city. The trucks taken were all Ford F-series trucks and most of them were the larger, heavy duty F-250 and F-350 models. Investigators are working to determine the motive for the thefts and the Lee’s Summit Police Department offers the following tips and information to help keep you from becoming a victim of auto theft.
The Lee’s Summit Police Department also advises that as the weather grows colder, it becomes important for residents to resist the urge to leave vehicles running at convenience stores, daycare centers and fitness centers in an attempt to warm them up or keep them warm. Thieves target these locations during cold weather looking to steal vehicles that are left running.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) the below listed vehicles are the most common stolen vehicles in the state of Missouri.
Dodge Caravan (2000)
Dodge Intrepid (2000)
Dodge Ram (2004)
Chevrolet Pickup (1994)
Ford F-150 Pickup (1995)
In addition, the NICB reports that a vehicle is stolen in the US every 40 seconds. FBI statistics indicate that only 52% of vehicles are ever recovered.
The following tips will help to reduce your chances of being the victim of auto theft:
1. Always Take Your Keys. Never leave them in the car. Nearly 20% of all vehicles stolen had the keys in them.
2. Always Lock Your Car. Approximately 50% of all vehicles stolen were left unlocked.
3. Never Hide A Second Set of Keys In Your Car. Extra keys can easily be found if a car thief takes time to look.
4. Park in Well-lighted Areas. Over half of all vehicle thefts occur at night.
5. Park in Attended Lots. Auto thieves do not like witnesses and prefer unattended parking lots.
6. Never leave your car running, even if you will only be gone for a minute. Vehicles are commonly stolen at convenience stores, gas stations, ATM’s, etc. Many vehicles are also stolen on cold mornings when the owner leaves the vehicle running to warm up.
7. Don’t leave valuables in plain view. Don’t make your car a more desirable target and attract thieves by leaving valuables in plain sight.
8. If You have a garage, use It. If you have a garage, take the time to use it rather than parking outside where your vehicle is more vulnerable.
