Motor vehicle break-ins have become more frequent throughout the summer, and the North Attleborough Police Department is asking the public to stay alert.
Capt. Jason Roy said the department had been investigating several instances of motor vehicle break-ins, which have resulted in the theft of valuables.
“There’s been a spate of them,” Roy said. “It should be noted that this isn’t just unique to North Attleborough. This happens all across the United States.”
According to Roy, the most recent break-ins occurred on July 11 and July 12, when five men with masks entered cars on Tracy Beth Drive, Lincolnshire Road and Page Road.
According to the police department, the men could not be identified. Roy said investigative efforts had been exhausted, but the department is still seeking any information from the public about the five suspects.
“It was totally random,” Roy said of the break-ins. “One night they were on one side of the town, and the other night they were on the other side.”
According to police, vehicle break-ins occur more frequently in the summer because suspects are likely to be active at night in warmer weather.
“It’s warmer out, and if you saw someone hanging around your car in the winter, you would get suspicious,” Roy said. “In the summertime, it’s warmer, and they can do it in the dark.”
Roy said the number of break-ins has remained the same as last year, with an estimated average of one to two a week, per the police reports.
Roy attributes the occurrence of break-ins to vehicle proprietors not locking their doors at night.
“These aren’t typical break-ins where they smash your windows and set off the alarm,” Roy said. “They simply opened the door because it was unlocked.”
To combat the rise in break-ins, Roy and the rest of the police department have urged residents to lock their doors every night, even in their driveways.
The department has posted notices in writing and online to remind those who own vehicles to stay alert when parking them outside at night.
“Just because it’s in your driveway doesn’t mean they won’t try to enter your car,” Roy said. “These kinds of incidents can happen anywhere.”
