Noah Johnson Daily Press It's best practice to always remove any valuables from your vehicle when not in use. Car break ins are crimes of opportunity as thieves look for cars that are left unlocked.

ESCANABA – As the temperature continues to increase and more people are out and about for the summer, officials are reminding citizens to remain vigilant when it comes to crimes of opportunity.

A common summer crime, or crime of opportunity, is car break-ins.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), 850,708 vehicles were reported stolen nationwide in 2024.

The good news is that number is a significant decrease from previous years.

“After four years of surging vehicle thefts, the number of stolen vehicles in the United States fell to pre-pandemic levels in 2024. Thefts nationwide decreased 17 percent from 2023 to 2024, dropping below the one million mark for the first time since 2021 and marking the largest annual decrease in stolen vehicles in the last 40 years,” NICB said in a press release.

Even with a decrease, residents should still take measures to prevent falling victim to car theft and break-ins.

Escanaba Public Safety Lieutenant Jeffrey M. Erickson provided tips to keep people, their families, and their belongings protected.

“First and foremost, don’t leave anything of value inside your vehicle, and always keep your vehicles locked at all times,” Erickson said.

He added that in small communities such as Escanaba, there’s a tendency to not worry about locking up cars. Still, it’s best practice to always secure your vehicle.

“Do not leave your vehicle unlocked,” Erickson reiterated.

If possible, it’s best to park in a well-lit area if an enclosed garage or another structure is not available.

“Obviously, those crimes of opportunities are going to happen in the dark and unlighted areas. If you have your vehicle in a lighted area, you’re less susceptible,” Erickson said.

Potential thieves typically look for unlocked vehicles, as it presents an opportunity to steal from a vehicle without the owner’s knowledge. Some criminals may resort to breaking a window to gain entry to a vehicle, but the commotion could alert the car owner or other nearby people.

“Ultimately, they can smash the window if they want to get in, but at two, three, or four in the morning, that’s less likely to happen because you don’t want to bring any attention to yourself, and obviously, that’s going to be pretty loud,” Erickson said.

Besides locking up, remove any valuables, especially if they can be seen through the window.

Thefts are more likely to attempt to steal from vehicles if they can see items of value, such as laptops, cell phones, wallets, or other valuables.

“We’ve had firearms taken out of cars. We’ve had expensive camera equipment taken out of cars. Just don’t leave it in there, just keep them locked,” Erickson said.

“They’ll steal anything. Whether it’s loose change or something that maybe they can sell or whatever they can get a few dollars for.”

It doesn’t matter how new or old a vehicle is or where it is; thieves will look for the easiest opportunity.

Thieves may not cause damage to the vehicle, but there will be signs that someone was in the vehicle, as compartments may be open and items appear to have been moved.

“They’ll see that the interior of their vehicle has been disheveled and went through,” Erickson explained.

He added the public should reach out to the department if they have a suspicion that their vehicle was broken into.

“They won’t call because they think they’re a burden,” Erickson said, referring to the public.

“Please call the law enforcement.”

Erickson added residents should practice locking their homes, garage, or any other structure to prevent thieves.

With school out for the summer, Erickson reminds the public that those 17 and under are not allowed to be out from midnight until 6 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent.

He also has a message for potential thieves: don’t do it; you will be caught eventually.

“You might get away with it a couple of times. Eventually, it’ll catch up with you. Everybody gets caught sooner or later,” Erickson said.