Law enforcement provide tips after an increase of local car break-ins

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD)–Local law enforcement agencies like Charleston, North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant Police Departments are working to crack down on the recent uptick in car break-ins.

According to the United States Department of Justice Bureau statistics, theft from motor vehicles is one of the top five leading crimes in the nation.  In Mount Pleasant, officers are working to stop thefts from happening.

“We’ve had an uptick that we’ve seen lately about vehicles being broken into, so we did make an arrest in one incident, and then most recently, we had break-ins and Harborgate Shore. We have not been arrested in that case, yet we are still asking the public to check their cameras,” said Ashley Croy, the informational for the Mount Pleasant Police Department.

In North Charleston, there were 700 reports of car burglaries, and officers said most of the thefts could’ve been avoided if residents locked their cars and took valuable items out.

“The doors open or windows down, and sometimes, like this past weekend, we’ll see the use of a window punch, and they go into the vehicles, and they lose change, wallets purses, leave handguns and vehicles laptops, whatever that could be easily taken. They’ll take,” said Justin Holt, Captain for the North Bureau Commander for the North Charleston Police Department.

Officials said public safety is their top priority, and they remind residents not to approach if they see a crime in progress.

“Do not approach. Just call us, and we’ll take care of it. A lot of times in these auto break-ins, citizens say that they have witnessed someone inside a vehicle and then called us, and that’s helpful for us because they have firsthand knowledge of who it is, what they look like, and where they are, and so that helps us to try to get them sooner,” said Croy.

Officials said if you see any suspicious activity or witness a break, you should immediately call your local law enforcement agency’s non-emergency number.

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