Wenatchee Seeing Car Prowling Increase, Police Urge More Caution

Authorities in the Wenatchee Valley are reminding the public to lock their vehicles and take other necessary precautions after a recent increase in car prowls.

The Wenatchee Police Department says thieves and would-be thieves have been particularly active in the parking areas attached to the city's parks and trailheads, but car prowling can happen anywhere you might park your vehicles.

"They just walk through and they look for things like bags and backpacks, purses, and electronics," says Police Capt. Brian Miller. "It really is a crime of opportunity that occurs very fast. Usually, thieves are just trying door handles to get into vehicles, but every now and then, we see cases where they get a little more brazen and will actually break windows to get at the valuables inside a car."

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Aside from the one obvious preventative measure of locking your vehicle, police say there are other things people can do to deter prowlers, such as not leaving valuables in plain sight and moving items like bags, backpacks, and electronics to the trunk when parking your car.

Miller also says it's also very important to take good care of your garage door opener.

"If you want to keep a garage door opener in your car, it's ideal - if you have a newer vehicle, to just pre-program your car to your garage door opener or use a cell phone app for your opener. If it's an older vehicle and you have a physical remote, always secure your garage door opener in a locked glove box or locking console, or take it with you and place it in a safe location like inside a purse or a backpack."

Thieves will often steal garage door openers and attempt to match the address listed on a car's registration certificate so they can burglarize the vehicle owner's residence at a later time.

Miller says it's also important to file a report if your car gets broken into. Police say they don't always catch vehicle prowlers, but the reports they receive can help them identify areas that are being targeted so extra enforcement measures can be taken to help prevent such crimes.