NARRATIVE: DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO – Opportunistic criminals have been recently targeting the northern part of Douglas County at a record rate. Over the last several months the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has received over 400 reports of theft, stolen vehicles garage burglaries and vehicle break-ins.
Typically these are out-of-county individuals coming into northern Douglas County between the hours of midnight and 5:00 a.m. These criminal groups tend to target different areas each instance and break windows to enter vehicles that they can see valuables in plain sight or enter open vehicles or garages. They have also been stealing vehicles if keys are left inside many times using them or their contents in other criminal episodes. These criminals can be violent and may be armed. Although most of these crimes are occurring at night, we have also received reports of these crimes being committed during the day.
Many of the crimes being reported are crimes of opportunity and could have been avoided had some precautions been taken. We are urging residents to remember to remove valuables from your vehicle, lock your vehicle, and close your garage door.
“Don’t let the criminals go shopping in your car!” Sheriff Tony Spurlock says.
In an effort to reduce these crimes and catch these criminals, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has created a “Lock It Or Lose It” campaign. This campaign will include a multi-aspect approach to education, social media posts, and stepped-up strategic enforcement efforts of specific areas based on crime trends.
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