Car break-ins spike in Salt Lake City during the pandemic. Can they be prevented?

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A recent spike in car break-ins has police in Salt Lake City reminding people to lock their doors.

For criminals, it’s hard to find a more convenient crime, police told 2News. Det. Greg Wilking with SLCPD said:

“It’s a really hard crime to prevent, it’s a hard crime to solve, a hard crime to prosecute, and it’s an easy thing for crooks to do.”

It's not only easy, it's quick, Wilking said.

“On a crowded street with a lot of cars parked, I’ve seen 100 cars prowled in a night.”

The Associated Press reports car prowls went up 22% in Salt Lake City in the past few months, surpassing the rise in even a major city like Los Angeles. But, Wilking says that doesn’t mark a major crime spree.

“For a city the size of Salt Lake, that can be just a handful of people creating a huge spike," he explained.

He says the pandemic has definitely played a part in the spike.

“That moves your crime into a different time of day, and a different type of crime.”

Wilking says car prowls are up, as other types of theft dropped during the pandemic.

“Retail theft, with a lot of retail stores not being open, that reduced opportunities. Your home burglaries went down considerably, because everybody is home.”

He says car break-ins are hard to prevent, but locking your doors can help.

“Those little deterrents make a difference.” Wilking said.

Police also say another way you can help is by reporting if someone attempts to break into your car — even if they don’t get away with anything. That way, as other crimes are down, they can allocate their officers to the right areas.