Car Break-Ins | A Note from Karen Kane

 
The Bridgeton neighborhood is again seeing a rash of vehicle break-ins. Last spring at a general neighborhood meeting, we were visited by an officer from the City of Portland Crime Prevention Program who gave us tips about how to prevent vehicle and other theft from our property. Links to the flyers are below, but want to remind everyone of a few basics as well.

First - remember that car break-ins are a theft of opportunity. That means if someone sees something or perceives something of value in your vehicle, he or she may take the quick opportunity to smash a window and take it. So don't leave anything in sight. Anything! They flyer details what items are most taken, but we were told that even the simplest items, such as device chargers, coffee mugs and a few dollars in change are targets.

We've also had complaints about transients going through garbage and recycling. This is an easy one - do not leave it outside! If you have a garage, then leave your containers inside until the day of (or night prior to) pickup. For moorages with communal pickup, avoid leaving items outside of the locked containers. Not only do garbage containers and extra trash contribute to making our neighborhood look unsightly, they are also targets of opportunity for others to comb through.

Finally - and this cannot be repeated enough - REPORT ALL BREAK-INS - no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Our crime prevention officers take all occurrences seriously, and allocate more resources to areas in need. If we don't report, we don't appear to be in need.

Following are links to flyers from the Office of Crime Prevention. Please take a moment to read them, and heed the advice of the experts.

Remember, you are making the neighborhood safe for all your neighbors when you follow these guidelines.

• keep your vehicle cleaned out
• hide items in your vehicles if you must leave them there
• leave your trash containers inside your garage or in another hidden area
• avoid placing items outside of communal trash pick-up areas
• REPORT ALL BREAK-INS. PERIOD.

GENERAL FLYERS
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/artic... - FOR VEHICLE SAFETY
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/artic... - RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY PREVENTION
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/artic... - FOR APARTMENT SAFETY
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/artic... - BICYCLE THEFT PREVENTION
OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION PAGE - https://www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/53530...

Thank you,

Karen Kane
Bridgeton Neighborhood Association
Co-Chair
Bridgeton Neighborhood Association