http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/11/old_metairie_burglary_spree_pr.htmlOld Metairie burglary spree prompts warning about 'citizen-assisted' crimes
Four suspects have been arrested for burglarizing more than 20 vehicles in Old Metairie earlier this week. But authorities say the criminals are getting a dangerous "assist" from Jefferson Parish residents.
Two guns, prescription medication, electronic equipment, cash and other property were stolen from the vehicles, according to Col. John Fortunato, spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. But none of the cars had signs of forced entry.
That's because the doors were left unlocked, authorities said. In fact, detectives tied the burglary cases to the theft of three vehicles from the same neighborhood on Monday night, according to Chief Deputy Tom Gorman, commander of the Sheriff's Office investigations bureau.
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Victims could be liable
While detectives track down leads in the cases, authorities said the spree should serve as a warning for Jefferson Parish residents. Gorman said people don't understand they may be opening themselves up to some type of liability by their negligence.
"A vehicle is a 2,000-pound weapon," he said. "These kids get the car, and they kill somebody in an automobile accident. Nobody's going to get any money out of the kids. They're going to look at the police report and find out the car was left unlocked, and then who do you think is going to suffer?"
Fortunato said the Sheriff's Office has repeatedly reminded residents to take their valuables out of their vehicles and keep car doors locked. Gorman said crime rates would drop drastically if citizens followed those few steps. Some may be angered by the implication that residents are partly at fault.
"Owning a gun and having a car is a privilege," Gorman said. "Anyone who owns weapons, whether it's a .40-caliber handgun or a 2,000-pound car, needs to act responsibly to protect their property from criminals."
is how JPSO would know, with certainty enough to put it into a report, that a door was left unlocked? Using a slim jim is not exactly an unknown technique on vehicular burglary and leaves, to my experience, zero trace that it was used. Or are they saying that simply because the window was not smashed in, then it MUST have been unlocked?
