Lindale Residents On Alert After Rash Of Car Burglaries

It's a feeling of being violated when you get back to your vehicle after a day of shopping, working, or leaving home to discover that it's been broken into.

Several residents and employees of Lindale, Texas area businesses have experienced that violated feeling lately thanks to a rash of auto burglaries that have been happening in the city.

April O'Byne tells KETK news,

We’ve had a lot of break-ins in Lindale and Tyler. We just want everyone to know to be safe, watch your surroundings, if you see anything suspicious please contact the Lindale Police Department."

The vehicle break-ins have been happening in a shopping center off of S Main St. in Lindale.

Thieves will often keep the area under surveillance and look for the right opportunity to strike. They'll walk through parking lots and casually check to see which cars have been left unlocked and break in that way.

Other vehicles have their driver or passenger windows busted out after thieves see something of value in plain sight. Many people have a false sense of security by leaving things in plain sight. If someone perceives something as valuable to them, there's a chance they might do whatever is necessary to acquire that item.

Sgt. Larry Christian of the Smith County Sheriff's Office says,

Auto burglaries are a very real problem for any law enforcement agency. Park your vehicle in a lighted area."

Also, lock your vehicle's doors and remove any valuables from the line of sight. Vehicle burglaries happen throughout the year and typically peak in the summer months.

Tips to keep from being a victim of a vehicle burglary:

• Always lock your vehicle and take your keys.
• Never leave your car running and unattended.
• Park in a well-lit area.
• Take valuables with you when you are not in your vehicle.
• Keep valuables out of sight.

Those tips come from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. The department also says in Texas more than 65,000 cars and trucks are stolen every year with another 200,000 being burglarized.

Lindale Police and the Smith County Sheriff's office are continuing to investigate these crimes and encourage shoppers and residents to remain vigilant remove things of value and lock their doors, even when the vehicle is at home in the driveway.