By Caitlyn Burchett
The Virginian-Pilot
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach Police Department is launching a new program in hopes of reducing vehicle break-ins — report cards.
The program comes on the heels of an uptick in larcenies from motor vehicles. Virginia Beach reported 2,912 cases in 2021, 15% more than 2020.
Officers will check parked vehicles for open windows, unlocked doors, visible valuables and tools that could make the vehicles an easy target and leave report cards on the vehicles noting their findings. Vehicles will receive a pass or fail report based on what officers find.
Officers will not enter, search or otherwise enter the vehicles as part of their inspection, the department said.
The report cards are not tickets and are not punitive. By issuing the notices, police said they hope to alert car owners of behaviors that leave vehicles vulnerable to break ins and thefts.
“The department hopes the card will help to track trends for parts of the community and give car owners a chance to reevaluate the accessibility of their vehicles to those looking to take advantage of unlocked doors or visible property,” the department wrote in a post on social media.
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According to the police department, a similar vehicle report card program has been used in Cincinnati, Ohio, for approximately 15 years.
“It has been successful there in reducing larcenies from vehicles and motor vehicle thefts,” said Police Chief Paul Neudigate in an email response to questions. “They have not had a history of the program causing a larceny or theft to occur due to the cards being left on the vehicles.”
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