LPD’s cold weather warning: leaving keys
in a running car is an invitation to thieves

By Mark Boxley
mark@kyforward.com

As the weather gets colder, more and more people head out to their cars in the morning to get them running and warmed up.

The problem with this scenario is that the car’s owner will often go back inside, leaving their keys in the running vehicle. And that can prove to be a temptation too great for some people, who will then hop in the unattended vehicle and drive off.

According to Lexington Police Department Detective Jeremiah Davis, it’s a trend that investigators with the LPD Commercial Burglary/Auto Theft unit see on a regular basis. Lexington residents have seen colder temperatures recently and “the last few days have sparked a few reports,” Davis said.

According to information from LPD, there have been 34 automobile thefts in Lexington since the first of the year. Of those, nearly half involve cases where keys were left in the ignition or they were stolen and used to access the vehicle.

“Many victims were ‘warming up’ their unattended cars in their neighborhoods at the time of the thefts,” information from LPD said.

There are instances when a person goes to a gas station and leave the car running while they go in “to make a quick purchase,” and the car is gone when they come back, Davis said.

“And it all takes place in less than 30 seconds,” he said.

Conversely, the department has seen a lull in automobile thefts during recent warming streaks.

“These are thefts that can be avoided,” Davis said.

The most effective thing vehicle owners can do is simply not leave a vehicle unattended.

“You wouldn’t leave for a vacation and leave the keys to your house in the front door,” Davis said. “We want people to see their cars in the same light.”

There are even times that two cars in a driveway are put at risk because the owner puts spare keys for one in the glove box of the other.

“They now have access to keys of both vehicles,” Davis said.

The bottom line is, Davis said, if your car is running you need to stay with it. And if you need to go back inside to get something, you should turn the car off and take your keys with you, he said.

Officers are working to get the word out about these types of thefts to help vehicle owners be more vigilant.

“And help people to help themselves,” Davis said. “Because we can’t be everywhere all the time.”

That being said, officers will respond to every report of a stolen vehicle regardless of the circumstances of its theft, and will investigate them to the fullest of their abilities.

But being aware of these types of thefts helps vehicle owners, “just to prevent that opportunity for someone to come and take your vehicle from you,” Davis said. And that in turn helps LPD.

“It’s a win, win situation,” he said.