14th District Captain Frank Palumbo

by Sue Ann Rybak

Anyone who follows the Local’s crime report regularly has likely noticed the dramatic increase in reports of car break-ins. 14th district police told us it’s a district-wide problem.

Captain Frank Palumbo said there has been a 7 percent increase across the 14th District in car thefts and thefts from autos compared to this date last year. Some of the areas hardest hit include parking lots with access to Fairmount Park, West Oak Lane and the Germantown Avenue Corridors.

Palumbo said while there are several reasons for the increase, the nationwide Opioid Crisis is a contributing factor.

“People steal to feed their habits,” he said. “Unfortunately, people often leave valuables in plain view in their vehicle such as cell phones, iPads, computers, GPS units, purses and small change. They are contributing to the increase from thefts from autos.”

A recent analysis by the Philadelphia Police Department found that a large number of thefts from autos and auto thefts are from unlocked doors or open windows.

Palumbo said thieves who steal cars or break-into vehicles do it as a job.

“They have nothing but time all day to watch you get out of your car and go for a jog in Fairmount Park,” he said. “You are probably going to be [at least] half-an-hour, and they rely on their expertise for what becomes a trade craft.”

He suggests residents make their vehicle “a harder target” by always locking their doors, installing a kill switch, car alarm, wheel lock and keeping their valuables with them or locked in the trunk.

He also encouraged residents to call 911, if they see suspicious behavior.

“We do not want people to feel as if they are bothering us,” he said. “If it looks suspicious, call 911 and describe what you see to the police. Then, the police will evaluate how to respond to that situation. If possible, we recommend that everybody have a home video security system and register the video camera with our SafeCAM program by going to phillypolice.com.”

He said police have made severals arrests for property crimes and more serious crimes “due to the proliferation of people owning private security systems.”

Palumbo also encouraged residents to register their car with the Police Department's S.A.V.E. (Stolen Auto Vehicle Effort) Program. The program allows police to stop your vehicle for investigation if observed on the highway between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., the hours most car thieves operate.

He added that although police have frequently made arrests from thefts from autos, the department “simply cannot arrest our way out of this problem.”

“It's going to require a partnership with the community to solve this problem,” he said.

Sue Ann Rybak can be reached at 215-248-8802 or sueann@chestnuthilllocal.com