Police warn against leaving vehicles unattended in driveways
Dec 21, 2023, 3:00 PM | Updated: May 30, 2024, 9:41 am
A car that was stolen and located by police which led to a police chase (Alexis Pineiro, KSL)
(Alexis Pineiro, KSL)
SALT LAKE CITY — Don’t leave your car or truck warming up unattended in the driveway because you may find it stolen, police warn.
Officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Pioneer Precinct and members of the Department’s Police Community Response Team (PCRT) visited neighborhoods Tuesday in Glendale and in Rose Park looking for vehicles running unattended.
They placed a card explaining the danger of leaving a vehicle unwatched while running.
About 1,700 cars are stolen each year in Salt Lake City. Many are stolen while warming up and left unattended in driveways or parking lots.
During the 90-minute operation, officers found 136 vehicles running unattended in Glendale and Rose Park.
Besides risking theft, leaving cars running is illegal. Salt Lake City Code and state law prohibit leaving cars idling unattended.
Vehicle owners should stay in their cars if they choose to warm up their vehicles before driving. The remote start feature on cars is not guaranteed to prevent a car from being stolen.
Even if the vehicle is immobilized, the thief may cause thousands of dollars in damage trying to break into the car.
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