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87 cars stolen in Newport News at the beginning of 2018

Posted at 1:02 PM, Feb 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-24 13:04:33-05

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – 87 cars were stolen between January 1 to February 20 in Newport News, according to city officials.

The city said that 63 percent of those vehicles were either not locked, the keys were in the car or the car was left running and unattended to.

“Fortunately, due to the hard work of our investigative team, a lot of stolen cars are recovered. Out of the 87 mentioned above, 59 have been recovered and returned to their owners,” said Assistant Chief Eric Randall. “However, this requires extensive police manpower – manpower that could be used elsewhere to keep our city safe, if citizens simply would not leave their cars running unattended with the keys inside or would just make sure their cars are always locked,” added Randall.

The Newport News Police Department urges people to lock their cars at all times. And that leaving extra keys in your vehicle can be a bad idea.

Police say that if you do see someone trying to break into a vehicle, call police and do not confront them, because they could be armed.

“A life is certainly not worth a vehicle,” said Randall. Adding that leaving valuables in plain sight in your vehicle can lead to break-ins.

Police suggest also that you park in a lit area, and if possible invest in an anti-theft device, to help prevent people from breaking into your vehicle.