Capt. Paul Chignell: Auto Burglaries an Epidemic

Unfortunately, auto burglaries are an epidemic in San Francisco.

Every neighborhood is not immune to thieves, who smash windows or pry open car doors to take valuables. What can be done about it?

As you may know, reporting these crimes to your auto insurance companies does little good due to the high deductibles on policies. Because of that, many people don't even report the crime.

But without reports, the police do not have a consistent pattern of where the crimes are occurring and when. So, we ask you to do the following: Always report the crime, even when the police dispatch sends your call to a report taker over the phone, because we need to know where and when these crimes are happening; Lock your doors and roll up the windows; Consider a car alarm; Never leave valuables in the car, particularly visible ones; If you see suspicious people loitering around cars or parking lots, call the police; Park in well-lit areas at night.

Captain Paul Chignell is the commanding officer at the Taraval Station.