Warming car thefts are – you guessed it – on the rise
Feb 1, 2022, 9:21 AM
Image of a car in winter (Photo credit: Canva)
(Photo credit: Canva)
SALT LAKE CITY — We’ve all done it .. as part of our multitasking reality, we turn the car on to warm up and walk away to do other things. But, some people that do this are walking back to find that their cars have been stolen.
Last month, Salt Lake City police say it happened dozens of times.
“We’ve had about 35 stolen vehicle reports taken by our officers, and they are from cars that had been left running,” Detective Michelle Mechling told KSL NewsRadio.
She said this issue presents a duel-edged sword. On one side, the convenience of moving from a warm house to a warm car.
“But it’s not worth the inconvenience, it’s way more inconvenient to not have a car,” Mechling said.
What about remote start? Mechling says that’s a convenience too, but that sometimes technology fails and those cars are stolen, too.
Her advice is simple — don’t leave a car running if you’re not there.
