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Lock your cars! Vehicle theft spikes in COVID-19 pandemic

Posted at 9:06 AM, May 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-25 11:28:02-04

The coronavirus hasn’t been kind to car owners. With more people than ever staying home to lessen the spread of COVID-19, their sedans, pickup trucks and SUVs are parked unattended on the streets. That makes them easy targets for thieves. Despite silent streets and nearly nonexistent traffic, vehicle larcenies shot up 63% in New York and nearly 17% in Los Angeles from Jan. 1 through mid-May, compared with the same period last year. Many law enforcement agencies around the U.S. are reporting an increase in stolen cars and vehicle burglaries, even as violent crime has dropped dramatically nationwide in the coronavirus pandemic.