Report: Auto Thefts Up In Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If you live or work in Minneapolis, you may want to keep an eye on your car.
A new crime report shows there were 379 auto thefts in Minneapolis between Jan. 1 and March 7. That's up from 272 in the same time period from 2015.
"There's no concrete data on why that is, it's just more people looking to sell the cars or just quick transportation," Minneapolis police crime prevention specialist John Reed said.
The 4th and 2nd precincts saw the biggest spike in auto thefts, around 52 percent. Only the 5th precinct saw a decrease in the crime.
Reed says the majority of the time, thieves take vehicles because of valuables they see inside and ditch the vehicle later.
Reed says the best ways to prevent becoming a victim to auto theft include: hiding any money and valuables, never leaving a vehicle running unattended, and don't leave car keys in the car or garage.
Minneapolis police expect automobile thefts to start to go down as warmer weather approaches.