COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — The Collier County Sheriff's Office is trying to reduce the chance that thieves will break into your vehicle while you're out shopping or at the beach. Thursday, deputies spoke to drivers at several key tourist locations in North Naples, reminding them to double-check that their car doors are locked and valuables are kept out of sight.
Sergeant Brian Sawyer of the Sheriff's Office said that thieves often pull on door handles until they find one that isn't locked - which drivers often fail to do.
"It's been a consistent pattern of behavior for years, if not decades," Sawyer said.
Examining several vehicles parked at the Vanderbilt Beach parking garage, he pointed out items left inside them that could be too tempting for thieves.
"We've got cash, a wallet and an RFID card right there in the center (console,)" Sawyer said, pointing to the interior of one vehicle. "That right there can make it very tempting for somebody."
The deputies also passed out literature to drivers on their way to the beach, advising them to lock their cars, and to keep items that people might normally leave in a vehicle - such as phone chargers and garage door openers - out of plain sight.
"It was a great reminder," said Penny LaFreniere, visiting from Ohio. "It made me second-guess myself, because I don't think that I actually locked the car."
"The harder we make it for criminals, the more likely they are to go somewhere else, and you're not going to lose any of your valuables," Sawyer said.
Deputies also spoke to drivers about vehicle burglary prevention at the Pavilion and Marcato shopping areas on Thursday.
