ESCANABA — While the summer months encourage increased travel and late nights out, the warm weather also emboldens those who break into vehicles looking for valuable items. In the United States, vehicle break-ins rank near the top of the list when it comes to common forms of larceny. While smash-and-grab break-ins, when a window is shattered to grant a thief access to the vehicle’s interior, are more prevalent throughout the nation, standard breaking and enterings are more common in the local area.

“Most of the breaking and enterings are opportunistic, meaning that people are coming through and they are checking doors, finding vehicles unlocked and those are the ones that they get,” Captain Marc Zawacki of Escanaba Public Safety, said. “Those are the most prevalent. We don’t see a lot of smash-and-grab.”

When it comes to vehicle break-ins, thieves will often walk or cycle down the street, subtly checking to see if vehicle doors are locked as they pass by. While some thieves might observe potential victims as they pull into a driveway, parking lot, or alleyway, waiting to see if the vehicle owner remembers to press the lock button, most just stumble upon unlocked and unmonitored vehicles.

“Most of the time we get called in the morning because the break-in happened during the evening time,” Zawacki said. “But it can happen at any time. We have had them happen during broad daylight.”

In addition to cash and loose change, thieves are seeking out valuable items, like phones, air pods, jewelry, and other electronic devices. These valuable items, unlike that of credit and debit cards, are typically exchanged for cash. Thieves will often avoid taking credit and debit cards for their own use, for any purchases that are made can be traced by banking institutions.

According to Zawacki, medications are valuable to car thieves as well.

“Do not store medication in your car. I really encourage people to just not leave anything of value in your car and lock your car up at all times,” Zawacki said. “Even if it’s for a short period of time, just keep your car locked. It will deter people from entering your car.”

Escanaba Public Safety has dealt with those who like to “car shop” in the past, with most vehicle break-ins being far from an isolated incident. According to Zawacki, individuals specifically targeting cars for their larceny tend to cover a large area in their hunt for unlocked or unmonitored vehicles, reported thefts emerging all across town.

Ensuring that your vehicle is locked at all times is the best way to prevent vehicle break-ins, although other precautionary measures are recommended. In addition to never storing valuable items in your vehicle, especially in high-target spaces like the glove compartment, center counsel, or trunk, make sure you roll your windows up before leaving your vehicle unattended. Built-in alarm systems are a great way to deter thieves as well.

“Most vehicles are equipped with car alarms, so if your vehicle is locked it is important to utilize that,” Zawacki said.

When going into a local business or attending an event out of state, make sure to park your vehicle in an area with heavy foot-traffic. Potential eye-witnesses will deter thieves from attempting to break in. However, because most break-ins happen during the evening hours, it is important to store your car in a well-lit and secure area overnight. While determent methods do not ensure prevention, they provide some extra protection against thieves looking to make a quick score.

“The majority of break-ins that we see are vehicles parked in their driveway or on the side of the street,” Zawacki said. “If you value something, bring it in with you or lock it up inside of your house.”

For those dealing with a break-in, there are a few important steps that should be taken. First, you should evaluate and record any damage that has been done to the exterior and interior of your car. Once that is complete, you should call the police to file a report. As police inspect the scene, ensure that all forms of identification, like a driver’s license, are still in your possession along with all credit and debit cards. If any of these items were stolen, it is important to contact the proper authorities to help cancel any fraudulent actions.

“The biggest thing is that you don’t leave anything of value in your car,” Zawacki said. “Most of these incidents are opportunistic … that is why we encourage people to keep their cars locked at all times and that should help the problem a lot.”