Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Deputy Kevin Duxbury warns residents to remove valuables from their vehicles and keep vehicles locked to avoid theft.

There is an unfortunate trend going on nationwide right now, which is resulting in a lot of people having things stolen from their vehicles.

Thieves are walking through residential areas, usually after midnight, and simply pulling on door handles of parked vehicles, both on the street and in driveways. They are very quiet and casual, and very hard to notice. If the door opens, then the thief will quickly ransack the inside of the car looking for anything they can to steal.

Sometimes it’s minimal, like loose coin change in the cupholder, a pair of sunglasses, but sometimes there is an extreme loss, like purses, wallets, tools, computers and cell phones.

Deputies are aware of this problem and are making efforts to patrol troubled areas in hopes of catching one of these thieves in the act, but that can be very challenging due to the randomness of the times and locations.

We can all do our part to help deter these crimes. At the end of the day, assure that your vehicle is locked and that the windows and sunroof are completely closed.

Take EVERYTHING out of your vehicle, regardless of how low the value. If you have a windshield shade, put it up, even at night. This makes it much more difficult for a thief to see inside your vehicle. If possible, park in a well-lit area.

Most importantly, if you see someone acting suspiciously in your area, we want you to call. Contact the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at 661-255-1121, or 911 if you feel it is an emergency, and patrol deputies will be sent to your area.

If your home is equipped with exterior security cameras, and you have video footage of a suspicious person, we definitely want to see it. Again, you can call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s station and a deputy will be sent to your home to view the footage. If possible, provide the deputy with a copy of the footage, or email it to your zone leader.

Have a Happy Christmas!

Deputy Kevin Duxbury
KBDuxbur@lasd.org
661-799-5158
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department