"Lock It Or Lose It" Auto Theft Campaign
By
KGNS News
Story Created:
Feb 20, 2013 at 7:31 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Feb 21, 2013
Police introduce a new campaign to educate people on the importance of keeping their vehicles locked at all times.
Today was the launch of the campaign.
You'll be seeing the slogan around the city.
The lock it or lose it logo was unveiled on an El Metro bus this morning at the Laredo Police Department.
The people behind the campaign figured this would reach many people.
The new campaign is aimed at preventing vehicle thefts and break ins. It took six months of brainstorming to come up with an idea they felt would grab everyone's attention.
"It can be glanced at from a parking lot, from a moving vehicle and stuff like that."
Assistant police Chief Torres says the public's safety is the number one priority. They feel this message is strong enough to make people think the next time they leave their purse, wallet, or other valuable item in their car.
"A message that's only going to be read in twenty seconds as a bus drives by."
the statistics of january 2013 already showed a 44 percent decrease compared to january 2012."
"We arrested 79 people last year for car theft."
Members of the police department say they get reports of auto theft all the time, and a lot of the times it can be prevented just by locking the car.
"In some of the surveillance video we've shown on this very newscast have shown that the burglars are showing up without any tools because they already know they can find vehicles that are left unlocked."
He says sometimes people have a lot of things on their minds or feel like their vehicle is safe unlocked in their driveway at home. He urges people to make sure to keep valuables out of sight.
"Especially if you park outside, you're not parking inside your garage, you're not parking in a secured area."
Baeza says besides your home, your vehicle is the second biggest investment you'll ever make so why put it in jeopardy.
In addition to having the logo on El Metro buses, police officers plan to also get the word out at community events such as national night out and neighborhood watch events.
