06-23-10 Sheriff Clarke Holds News Conference Regarding Park & Ride Lots

News Conference re: Park & Ride lots

Discovery World Lobby

June 23, 2010 @ 2:00pm
 
 
Good afternoon. The primary duty of a law enforcement agency is to prevent crime. Preventing people from being victimized by criminals is the first priority of the Sheriff’s Office in Milwaukee County.   In keeping with this objective, we are warning users of the park and ride lots to use common sense precautions to reduce their chance of being victimized.
 
During Summerfest and other ethnic festivals, the use of park and ride lots and the freeway flyer provides an inexpensive and convenient way to attend Maier Festival Park. Thieves know that users of park and ride lots will be gone from their cars for lengthy amounts of time. Thefts from parked vehicles are crimes of opportunity.   Simply walking between cars and looking through the windows makes it easy for them to determine what they can steal. Items that can safely be left in plain view while parked in front of your home, your driveway overnight, or on a street with vehicular or pedestrian traffic around, cannot be left unattended at a park and ride lot.
 
The most popular items for thieves today are portable GPS mapping systems that sit on top of the dashboard or mount on the windshield. Other popular items that thieves are in search of are laptop computers, satellite radios, cameras, cell phones, purses, wallets, radar detectors, iPods, CDs and money, including currency and coins left in center consoles. These items can quickly be snatched from a car and easily sold on the street for cash.   
And although each year the number of break-ins has declined, and we have seen a 65% decrease in break-ins since our increased patrolling initiative began in 2008, we are committed to pursuing this downward trend toward zero break-ins.
 
That’s our goal: A quality of life where our public can park their car and enjoy a day without worrying about what they’ll find upon their return.
 
I have ordered enhancements and adjustments to our park and ride safety plan. Based on data, we have identified prime times of break-ins. We will deploy undercover patrols and uniformed patrols during this time period to deter these would-be thieves. We will also utilize surveillance cameras that are web-based and can be viewed by us in real time.   Surrounding local law enforcement agencies will assist at the lots in their particular jurisdiction. We have notified the State Patrol to concentrate on state-owned park and ride lots.
 
            I do not want your Summerfest experience to be ruined when you return to the park and ride lot and you discover that your car was broken into. Leaving valuable items at home, or out of plain view, by locking them in your trunk, will help prevent their theft, and save you a great deal of inconvenience and expense. When the public does their part and law enforcement fulfills their obligation, together we create a difficult environment for thieves to operate in. 
 
Here are a few additional Park and Ride Safety Tips:
  • Don’t make it easy for the thief
    • Always lock an unattended car
    • Keep windows and sunroofs closed
    • Approximately one-fourth of thefts from vehicles are from unlocked cars (according to nationwide.com)
  • Again, hide your valuables
    • Never leave purses, cell phones or other valuables in your car. Keep your items out of sight
    • If you choose to put your items in the trunk of your car, do so before you arrive in the parking lot
  • Check for signs of illegal entry before you get into your car
  • Report all break-ins, theft or damage to vehicles that occur on Park and Ride lots.
  • Report any suspicious activity on or around Park and Ride lots.

Thank you and enjoy our summer festivals throughout Milwaukee County.

 

Below are some images of items left in vehicles at a Park and Ride Lot