Valdosta Daily Times

Local News

February 23, 2013

Car break-ins on the rise

VALDOSTA — The Valdosta Police Department is issuing a warning to city residents that the theft of items in vehicles is on the rise.

The thefts are not necessarily a “break-in,” since police are finding that many of the vehicles were left unlocked by their owners.

“We are seeing a lot of vehicles being entered and items stolen,” said VPD Commander Brian Childress. “People are leaving their cars unlocked when they go home at night, and leaving high-value items in plain view, creating an attractive opportunity for someone to break in.”

Childress said most of the thefts are occurring in the Valdosta State University and Cherry Creek areas, but can happen anywhere that thieves think there is an opportunity.

Among the items stolen that have been left in vehicles are wallets, GPS units, guns, and laptops.

“You need to take these items inside your home if you can,” Childress said. “If you can’t, then at least put them in the trunk so they can’t be seen.”

Valdosta police are actively working these cases, but need help from citizens as well.

“We are hearing secondhand that some victims haven’t called the police department to file a report. It’s essential that you do so if you have been robbed,” Childress said. “Our property crimes unit investigates these cases and they use the statistics gathered from the reports to try and catch the thieves by detecting patterns, using surveillance cameras, etc.”

Besides the warning to take valuables inside at night, Childress said even more importantly is for citizens to lock their car doors.

“Even if it’s at your own home, always lock your car doors. It makes it much more difficult for thieves and decreases your chances of becoming a victim,” he said.

Text Only
Local News
  • swampghost1 copy.jpg Albino gators visit Wild Adventures

    Two rare albino American alligators have joined the other gators at Wild Adventures for the summer.

    May 21, 2013 1 Photo

  • Police_Car_2 2 copy 2.jpg Officers wound man in shootout

    A Lanier County man was wounded Saturday during an exchange of gunfire with lawmen, according to a Lanier County Sheriff’s Office press release.

    May 21, 2013 1 Photo

  • At Random - Mandy Painter04 copy.jpg Woman fights to live after cancer

    To be whole again, the desire that sometimes overwhelms chair-bound Mandy Painter, fuels the Realtor each day through walking lessons during physical therapy and it's also what could see her through a cutting-edge program in Boston, where world-class neurologists can reawaken her cerebellum and see the mother of three to her feet again.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • photo(2).JPG North Ashley Street closed following accident

    A Sport Utility Vehicle traveling north on North Ashley Street drove into a telephone pole Monday morning, resulting in the closure of the road.

    May 20, 2013 2 Photos

  • gornto copy.jpg Gornto extension half complete

    The Gornto Road extension project is more than half-way complete, and could be finished ahead of the one-year deadline contractors were given when the project was approved Oct. 11 by the Valdosta City Council.

    May 20, 2013 1 Photo

  • Fiddles4.jpg Nashville honors history, musical tradition

    There were more than a few Nashville residents and guests from out of town fiddlin’ around Saturday to celebrate the grand opening of the Georgia Humanities Council and Smithsonian New Harmonies exhibit, celebrating roots music from the state and across the Deep South.

    May 19, 2013 1 Photo

  • Peaches7.jpg Locals, out-of-towners come out for food, fun at Peach Festival

    The Morven Peach Festival drew a smaller crowd than usual in its 26th year, but planners weren't complaining.

    May 19, 2013 1 Photo

  • water.jpg Coliform found in drinking water

    The cause of a water quality issue is still under investigation by the City of Valdosta Utilities Department after a water sample taken from a line in the area near the intersection of St. Augustine Road and West Hill Avenue tested positive for coliform bacteria.

    May 19, 2013 1 Photo

  • CNHI_IndyQuakeDrill.jpg The Big One: Preparing for mid-America earthquake

    It’s a bleak scenario. A massive earthquake along the New Madrid fault kills or injures 60,000 people in Tennessee. A quarter of a million people are homeless. The Memphis airport — the country’s biggest air terminal for packages — goes off-line. Major oil and gas pipelines across Tennessee rupture, causing shortages in the Northeast. In Missouri, another 15,000 people are hurt or dead. Cities and towns throughout the central U.S. lose power and water for months. Losses stack up to hundreds of billions of dollars.

    May 18, 2013 1 Photo

  • DisasterProject.Logo.jpg Preparing South Georgia for a disaster

    A pair of specialized urban rescuers shed some of their protective gear for a moment and exchange relieved smiles because, on the roads across the swamps of residential rubble, a caravan of Lowndes citizens returns to a county that, according to Lowndes officials, was able to repair its wounds in the aftermath of a Category 5 storm due to a dynamic package of disaster plans.

    May 18, 2013 1 Photo

Top News
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
Poll

What’s your best advice for graduates?

Go to college or trade school immediately.
Work for a while then seek further education.
Enter the work force.
Intern, ensure an interest is something you can do.
     View Results