Thieves are taking advantage of the quieter off-season months to pilfer valuables from unlocked vehicles in residential Kill Devil Hills neighborhoods at night, according to town police.
"What we've seen lately are more of what we're accustomed to seeing in the summer," police Detective John Towler said.
Since January, he said, there have been more than 40 break-ins of cars and trucks that owners have left unlocked. The break-ins are not forced entries, Towler said. The thief just opens the door and rifles through the glove box and under the seats, he said. Electronics are a favorite target.
No one has been apprehended, and the crimes seem to happen in clusters throughout town.
"There's no pattern," Towler said. "There's no center point."
To a lesser degree, he said, there have been infrequent break-ins at vacant houses.
A similar spate of vehicle break-ins has occurred on Hatteras Island, said Dare County Chief Deputy Sheriff Phillip Etheridge.
Etheridge, who has been with the sheriff's office for 24 years, said the past 12 months have been the worst he has seen for break-ins.
Manns Red & White supermarket in Wanchese has been broken into three times since January, Etheridge said. In the first two months of the year, flat-screen televisions were stolen from about eight houses in Avon.
He said he's seeing more break-ins of every type: "houses, businesses, vehicles, boats."
Last weekend, for example, there were seven vehicle break-ins on Hatteras Island, all within walking distance of one another, Etheridge said.
In Manteo, police Chief Vance Haskett said the town's problem with vehicle break-ins has abated with the arrest of a man caught in the act. Still, he said, he doesn't think the thefts are over.
"The way times are, with people hurting for jobs," he said, "I'm expecting things to increase."
Over the years, Duck police Chief Phillip Ferguson said, he's seen waves of breaking and entering come and go - but the problem so far has not increased in his town.
"My advice is to always lock those houses and vehicles," he said, "and that includes when you go over the dunes to the beach."
Catherine Kozak, (252) 441-1711, cate.kozak@pilotonline.com
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big crime problems
Dare county includes the northern Outer Banks and has a larger land area than either Virginia Beach or Chesapeake and this is their biggest crime problem? Wish we had it so good in Hampton Roades. The article indicates break-ins in Wanchese and Avon which are fifty miles apart.
It should be common sense
that you should always lock your doors whether it be your car or home or boat for that matter and to make sure the windows are closed and locked as well. It should also be common sense to not leave your ipods gps laptops digital camera's cell phones wallets purses ect ect ect in your vehicles. Problem is though that few people have common sense and get lax in their thinking and eventually some opportunistic individual comes along and walks away with the goodies.
This has been playing out heavily for the last 10 months in northern Georgia where I'm at right now so its not something localized to the VB region. Some advice besides not leaving things in your vehicles and closing and locking doors and windows would be to also re arrange your rooms that have tv's and computers in them so that they are not visible through the windows easily. Also don't open your blinds all the way so that people on the street cant see easily into your home's. Also invest in motion sensitive lighting and actually use it, you'd be amazed how many people never turn them on.
boo hoo, times are tough
Yeah, stealing from cars to pay their mortgages. I believe it.
'Times are tough' is a convenient excuse.
Even in paradise you have to lock your door's at night.
Even in paradise you have to lock your door's at night. Crooks pray off other peoples lack of due diligence more than anything else. Besides if someone was grabbing stuff out of unlocked car's in South Norfolk it would not even be a news item.