Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies in Duarte patrolled parking lots at shopping centers this week to ticket cars with valuable items left in plain sight.
The department’s Temple station confirmed it issued “friendly reminders” for shoppers who left their belongings visible inside park cars, which could lead to break-ins and other crimes.
The “ticket” urges people not to “become a victim,” pointing out whether a car has personal property in plain view, such as purses, cellphones, wallets and watches – even labeled packages. The citation does not require people to pay a fee.
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“Your cooperation will help,” the Sheriff’s station said. “Together we can reduce opportunities for crime to occur. Please remember to lock your vehicle and remove personal property.”
The Temple station told NBC Los Angeles that the issuance of the tickets was a “one-time” thing, but deputies may try again sometime this month as more shoppers head to the malls during the holiday season.
Our Duarte SAO deputies have been patrolling the parking lots of shopping centers in the neighborhood. They have issued friendly reminders for you not to leave valuable personal items in plain sight inside your vehicle. @CityofDuarte pic.twitter.com/42QeVCr83Q
— LASD Temple Station (@TEMLASD) December 2, 2024
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Authorities urge people to always lock their car with windows rolled up and personal property locked in the truck. For people with stereos, they are urged to record the serial number of their device or engrave their driver’s license number on it.
In addition to not leaving items in plain view, shoppers should not leave remote garage door openers in vehicles to prevent further damage and never keep original ownership papers, such as a car title, in the vehicle.
