Vehicle Break-In Cases Rise, Police Say

BRISTOL, Va. – On a muggy Saturday night in August, a Virginia Lottery investigator named Jerry Wright parked his freshly washed SUV in front of his Omaha Road home in Bristol, Va., where he’s lived for 35 years, and went inside. He left the car doors unlocked.

The next morning, he got in the car and noticed a compartment on the console was open.

“I got to looking around and found out everything was missing,” Wright said.

Everything included his gold police badge, bulletproof vest, ammunition, laptop computer and .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun.

In all, four of the Wrights’ vehicles were rifled through.

The Wrights were victims of a crime that Bristol Virginia Police say is on the increase – car break-ins, almost exclusively from unlocked vehicles – and it’s only getting worse. In the past several weeks, police said, four laptops were taken from different cars in different residential neighborhoods, along with loose change, iPods and GPS systems.

Nice, quiet communities have been targeted, authorities said, with most of the thefts in the north end of town and the neighborhood surrounding Virginia High School. Shopping centers and mall parking lots also are inviting for thieves.

Police Detective Sgt. Steve Crawford said the burglars are usually looking for an easy grab at a few dollars in coins. If there are other small, easily manageable items, they’ll take those too.

“They’re usually on foot, just walking through neighborhoods at night, tugging on door handles and if it’s locked, they walk away,” Crawford said. “Change-snatchers usually go undetected. It’s not until they pick up property and start selling it that we can start tracking it.”

Wright’s gun turned up at a local pawn shop, and police tracked his other property down in various homes across the city. By mid-week, he had everything back.

Wesley G. Williams, 21, of Norway Street in Bristol, Va., was arrested and charged with grand larceny.

But, usually, the loot’s smaller and harder to find. Crawford said that as soon as they get somebody in jail for breaking into cars, somebody else will take over the reins.

“We’re not going to put a stop to these crimes, so the best deterrent is preventing it before it happens,” said Nicole Slagle, crime prevention coordinator for the Bristol Virginia Police Department.

Slagle said common-sense rules, such as always locking your door, can go a long way. She said drivers should park in well-lit areas, roll up the windows and put valuables in the trunk.

“No neighborhood is exempt from this,” Slagle said. “If you see someone acting suspicious in a parking lot, somebody that doesn’t fit in your neighborhood, please call and let an officer come check it out.”

And never, she said, leave prescription medications in sight.

Bristol Tennessee Police Capt. Charlie Thomas said car break-ins are “always a problem,” but don’t seem to be on the upswing on the south side of the state line.

He said Bristol, Tenn., had 11 car break-ins in September – about half at residences and half in parking lots, which is consistent with previous years.

Still, departments on both sides of the city agree that the holidays are open-season for car break-ins.

“A GPS was stolen from Kmart last week,” Thomas said. “The guy got out of his car, locked the doors but left the window down. That’s the kind of stuff we’re seeing. Remember, putting your pocketbook in the seat and throwing your coat over it is nothing but an invitation to a thief to get in your car and look under the coat. Don’t leave your checkbooks. Don’t leave your credit cards. People will break in and steal them.”

Thomas said even if stolen property is found, it’s often difficult to match to an owner.

“There are 10,000 iPods out there,” he said. “It’s very important to have the serial number for electronics. Say 10 GPS units are pawned in a month. Well, one TomTom looks the same as every other TomTom, so unless you have the serial number, we just won’t know. Engrave your initials or something on it. Things like that can help us find your stuff.”

cgalofaro@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2531