Lock your doors. It seems like an obvious thing to do, but a string of car thefts show that's not the case.
In the past 24 hours, Sioux Falls Police say four vehicles have been stolen in Sioux Falls.
Police were first called to the 4600 block of South Woodwind Lane at around 8 a.m. Tuesday for a stolen car. At around 10:45 a.m., Lt. John Duprey said a vehicle was left running in the 1100 block of West 4th Street before it was taken.
Later in the day, cars were stolen in the 2600 block of East 10th Street and 1200 block of South Spring Avenue. All four thefts had one thing in common.
"Of those four vehicles, all four of them were unlocked, all four had keys in the vehicle and one of them was running," Duprey said.
We took to the streets of Sioux Falls this evening, and it didn't take long to see vehicles that can be easy targets for criminals.
Whether it's on your key chain, or on your door, locking your vehicle takes just a few seconds and will save you a lot of headaches.
"Most vehicles have this little thing you can lock, even from a few feet away and you can hear the beep and it tells you it's locked," Pederson said.
Tina Pederson says she locks her doors every time.
"If you leave your car unlocked you're just asking for someone to take something," Pederson said.
A drive around town shows plenty of cars parked with no one inside, and the windows down. With the summer sun beating down, vehicles are heating up inside. Lt. John Duprey with Sioux Falls Police says you should still keep your windows up, and the doors locked.
"I realize that it's hot out but making it easier for somebody to make away with your vehicle by leaving the keys in there, leaving it unlocked or leaving it running is not helping the situation," Dupree said.
Pederson says in the past, you might have been able to get away with unlocked cars in Sioux Falls. But as the population goes up, there are more people who could be looking to get in your vehicle.
"It's a wonderful community, but Sioux Falls is growing and there's a lot of influx of new people so you can't trust everybody. You need to learn to lock your doors," Pederson said.
Duprey urges neighbors to keep watch out for one another. If you see an open garage door or an unlocked vehicle, let the owner know.
In the past 24 hours, Sioux Falls Police say four vehicles have been stolen in Sioux Falls.
Police were first called to the 4600 block of South Woodwind Lane at around 8 a.m. Tuesday for a stolen car. At around 10:45 a.m., Lt. John Duprey said a vehicle was left running in the 1100 block of West 4th Street before it was taken.
Later in the day, cars were stolen in the 2600 block of East 10th Street and 1200 block of South Spring Avenue. All four thefts had one thing in common.
"Of those four vehicles, all four of them were unlocked, all four had keys in the vehicle and one of them was running," Duprey said.
We took to the streets of Sioux Falls this evening, and it didn't take long to see vehicles that can be easy targets for criminals.
Whether it's on your key chain, or on your door, locking your vehicle takes just a few seconds and will save you a lot of headaches.
"Most vehicles have this little thing you can lock, even from a few feet away and you can hear the beep and it tells you it's locked," Pederson said.
Tina Pederson says she locks her doors every time.
"If you leave your car unlocked you're just asking for someone to take something," Pederson said.
A drive around town shows plenty of cars parked with no one inside, and the windows down. With the summer sun beating down, vehicles are heating up inside. Lt. John Duprey with Sioux Falls Police says you should still keep your windows up, and the doors locked.
"I realize that it's hot out but making it easier for somebody to make away with your vehicle by leaving the keys in there, leaving it unlocked or leaving it running is not helping the situation," Dupree said.
Pederson says in the past, you might have been able to get away with unlocked cars in Sioux Falls. But as the population goes up, there are more people who could be looking to get in your vehicle.
"It's a wonderful community, but Sioux Falls is growing and there's a lot of influx of new people so you can't trust everybody. You need to learn to lock your doors," Pederson said.
Duprey urges neighbors to keep watch out for one another. If you see an open garage door or an unlocked vehicle, let the owner know.