Rockford Police say in the last month, there were more than 30 auto thefts, with a majority of cars being left unattended with keys inside.

Just like a co-worker of mine (let's just call him...oh, I don't know..."Joe"), there are lots of folks who, after parking outside over night in frigid weather, come out the next morning to start their car and let it warm up, while they go back inside to finish getting ready for the day.

The problem with that, according to the Rockford Police Department, is that you're setting yourself up to have your vehicle stolen.

The Rockford Police Department says at this time of the year, people leave their keys in their car when warming them up, then walk away. That makes your car a perfect target for thieves.

"We just really like to encourage people to not leave the vehicles unattended," said Lt. Kurt Whisenand of the Rockford Police Department. "To use a remote start or some other kind of technology. Just to be aware of their surroundings and not to just leave the vehicles outside running with the keys in them."

If your car doesn't have remote start, you can get it installed.

 

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