Spate of car thefts hits Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Police Department is dealing with a rash of car thefts, one that has picked up in the last week.

Public safety spokesman Greg Buelow said there were 21 auto thefts in October. So far this month, there have been 19 car thefts.

Ten of those thefts have occurred since Nov. 15 and four vehicles were stolen on Wednesday, Buelow said.

'The cold snap has definitely had an impact on a sharp increase in auto theft in November,' Buelow said in an email.

Of the last 10 stolen vehicle reports, Buelow said only three victims had left the vehicle running with the keys in the ignition. Out of those three, two were parked at convenience stores and one was parked at a motel. All three victims reported leaving their vehicles running because it was cold, Buelow said.

With the spate of thefts, the police department is reminding motorists to keep their vehicles locked at all time and never leave their keys in the vehicle. Windows should be rolled up and the sun roof should be closed, Buelow said.

Buelow said while it is tempting in cold weather to leave the car running, it's not safe to do so.

'Children could potentially access the vehicle and get injured,' Buelow said. 'Or, thieves could quickly steal your vehicle while it's left unlocked and running.'

The police department also recommends the use of anti-theft systems and never leaving valuables in plain sight, even if the car is unlocked.

In September, the police department announced it was dealing with an uptick in thefts from vehicles this year. There were 284 reports of thefts from vehicle through May 2014. By the end of August, that number jumped up to 631.

Police said 14 weapons were stolen from vehicles as a result of those thefts.