Preventing car break-ins

“There’s like a lot of unique shops around here that I can’t find like in Aptos,” said Aptos resident Mitra Zahraie.

Downtown Santa Cruz will soon be bustling with holiday shoppers.

Before you start packing and unloading gifts into your car, Santa Cruz Police wants you to be on the lookout.

“I definitely worry about people breaking into my car but I think a lot of other people don’t,” said Zahraie. “I think a lot of people just think like oh thats not going to happen to me it’s Santa Cruz, cool, smoke weed.”

According to the Santa Cruz Police Department vehicle burglaries accounted for 42% of all theft crimes in Santa Cruz last year.

Some of those burglaries happening support drug habits.

“We live next to a university where also a lot of people have their cars broken into when they leave stuff in there so it’s also those same type of people coming around,” said Melanie Waechtler, a Santa Cruz resident.

A car prowl or break in can happen in a minute or less.

The Santa Cruz Police Department says most of the time the suspect gets in through an unlocked door, breaking a window or using a wedge to gain access.

“I’ve know people to just walk away from their cars, leave them unlocked, i’ts not a big deal,” said Zahraie.

To reduce your chances of a break in police say never leave valuables in your car where they can be seen.

“We always hide everything thats in our cars,” sand Marci Springer who lives in Santa Cruz.

“Yea we both have VW Bugs and you can see everthing that’a inside so mostly I try to put everything in the trunk or bring it with me,” said Waechtler.

Authorities also advise not leaving credit cards, garage openers and personal information in your glove box which can also lead to identity theft if stolen.

Park on well lit streets to keep your vehicle in plain view.

“I go into the parking garage where I know there’s a lot of other cars and a lot of other people,” said Zahraie.

Also be observant when getting in and out of your car.