Police warn residents to take precautions in light of recent larcenies

GROSSE POINTES — People enjoying outdoor activities and backyard barbecues aren’t the only ones who love summer. For crooks, the warm weather spells a prime time to steal valuables.

After a recent series of larcenies from vehicles and garages — most of which were unlocked at the time — police are reminding residents that they can greatly reduce their chances of being a victim of opportunistic thieves by taking a few simple steps to protect their possessions.

“My first word of advice is to please lock your vehicles,” Grosse Pointe Park Detective Sgt. Jeremy Pittman said via email. “Almost all of the (larceny from auto) incidents that get reported to us are vehicles that were left unlocked. Even if your vehicle is parked in your driveway, close to your home, in a lighted area or anywhere else that you believe it to be safe, it still needs to be locked.”

Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Director John Kosanke made a similar observation earlier this year.

“People need to lock their (house) doors and lock their car doors,” Kosanke said. “There’s always someone looking for an opportunity.”

From June 26 to 28, Grosse Pointe Park experienced a string of larcenies from unlocked vehicles. The crimes occurred in the 1200 block of Whittier Road, 1000 block of Harvard Road, and 1000 and 1400 blocks of Bishop Road. At press time, police were reviewing surveillance footage from the area that might have captured the suspect or suspects in the act, but the investigation was ongoing.

Bike thefts were under investigation in the Park, as well. In one incident, a Specialized bike valued at $600 was stolen from a garage in the 1200 block of Whittier between the hours of 6 a.m. June 25 and 10 a.m. June 26. In a second incident, a 21-speed Specialized mountain bike valued at $500 was stolen from an open garage in the 1300 block of Three Mile Drive between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. June 29. Between the hours of 7 p.m. June 30 and 10 p.m. July 1, a light green 10-speed bike, royal blue 10-speed bike, and red and yellow 10-speed bike were stolen from an unfenced backyard in the 1200 block of Beaconsfield Avenue.

While it wasn’t known at press time whether it was committed by the same suspect or suspects, another larceny from a vehicle was reported during roughly the same time period as some Park incidents in neighboring Grosse Pointe City. A police report shows that, between the hours of 8 p.m. June 27 and 6:30 a.m. June 28, someone entered an unlocked Ford F-150 truck while it was parked on Village Lane and stole a Springfield Armory handgun.

Residents know their own neighborhoods, so unusual activity — particularly late at night or in the very early morning hours — should be reported immediately to police. For example, local police have made a number of arrests over the years thanks to eagle-eyed residents who saw strangers rifling through vehicles in the wee hours of the morning.

“Please contact your local police agency if you see anything suspicious or if your home surveillance camera has captured anything out of the ordinary,” Pittman said by email. “We are doing everything in our power to patrol the areas that are being targeted and follow up on leads to make arrests, but we always need and appreciate help from the community. A call to the non-emergency line is sufficient if there is no obvious crime in progress; however, please call 911 if a crime or other emergency is observed.”