SCOTT COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — As temperatures rise, police in Scott County are reporting an uptick in vehicle break-ins with 30 incidents recorded since May. Most of the break-ins have occurred in Georgetown's Mount Vernon neighborhood.
"The minute I get an alert, I always look to see if somebody's trying to either break in my apartment or my car, you know?" said Steven Walker.
Despite installing three Ring cameras, consistently locking his car doors, and keeping his outside lights on, Walker still feels vulnerable to potential theft.
"Makes me honestly feel very uneasy," Walker said.
Lieutenant Lewis Crump of the Georgetown Police Department explained that "LFAs," or Larceny from Auto Crimes, typically increase during summer months when weather improves.
"If you're walking past a parked car, and you see an iPad in the front seat, and the vehicle's unlocked, it's too easy for someone to open the door, take that and leave," Lieutenant Crump said.
Walker believes criminals aren't considering the consequences of their actions.
"These people think that they're smart, but they don't realize. A lot of us nowadays, we have security cameras," Walker said. "So either way it goes, you try to break in, you gotta get caught."
To address the rising number of break-ins, the Georgetown Police Department is increasing its presence in affected areas through additional patrols, utilizing unmarked cruisers and officers on bicycles.
"We understand that when your property is taken from you, it feels like a piece of you is missing," Lieutenant Crump said.
The department credits community involvement for helping identify suspicious activity. In the past two months, they've received 210 phone calls from neighbors reporting potential break-ins and suspicious vehicles or individuals.
"I'm very proud to work here, because of the strong partnership with the community," Lieutenant Crump said.
Walker emphasizes that community vigilance is essential to reducing these crimes.
"Communities need to come together because we need to stay vigilant. We don't need the bad guys trying to take over our neighborhoods. We need to step up and be more vigilant," Walker said.
