Lock your doors: Car break-ins on the rise. The data shows where they're most likely to happen
Abbie Schindo’s midtown apartment complex has been hit with car break-in recently. Since the beginning of the year, residents there have received at least three emails warning them about this happening in the area.
"The area still feels generally safe, but I am definitely more aware of my surroundings now," said Schindo, a Raleigh native. "I don’t park my car toward the back of the lot. I try to keep it closer and around other cars in hopes it makes it less of a target."
Schindo didn’t need to see this email to know they were going on though – her car was one of those broken into. Not once but twice.
"My car is 15 feet from my front door and it made me think about the possibility of things escalating from car break-ins to something else," she said.
In 2022, there were more than 2,900 thefts from motor vehicles reported in Raleigh, data shows. Thefts from vehicles climbed last year in Raleigh, returning to levels near the eight-year peak of 2017. It coincides with a rise in car thefts in the city, and a rash of vehicle break-ins across the Triangle.
On average, there are 165 break-ins reported annually in any neighborhood in the city. Midtown, where Schindo lives, had 157 last year. Some areas though have significantly more. Northwest Raleigh, where Crabtree Valley Mall is located, had the most with 444. Meanwhile, Mordecai, Five Points and South Central - all smaller neighborhoods, reported the fewest.
When we look at larceny from motor vehicles calculated by the number of people who reside in a neighborhood, the rankings change with Atlantic, Central and Southwest Raleigh leading with the most. South, Five Points and Forestville had the fewest.
Schindo says she understands these are crimes of opportunity.
"I obviously don’t condone it, but people are desperate and it’s an easy, simple, quick thing to do," she said. "The solution has to be bigger than stopping crime all together though. It trickles down to tackling the economy."
Still, Schindo feels increasing private security around the complex would be beneficial. Since getting her car broken into twice – when it was locked – Schindo got a new vehicle. She says reading reviews about the ease of getting into it played a factor when deciding what she’d be driving next because she is hopeful she won't be victimized again.
"It was unfortunate and kind of violating that someone was in my driver’s seat, going through my things," she said.
Authorities recommend following a few safety tips to avoid break-ins:
- If at home, park in the driveway
- Park as close to a camera as possible
- Do not leave valuables in plain sight
- Lock your doors
