Police warn against letting your car warm up in winter – WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio

SPRINGFIELD – Police said warming up your car in the winter can make you more vulnerable to theft.

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Springfield police said they are not asking people to stop warming up their cars in their driveways.

They’ve recently noticed a spike in car thefts across the city.

“I would like to say we had six or eight successful thefts over the weekend. We probably had 15 to 20 attempts over the weekend that weren’t successful,” said Sgt. Dan Harris.

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The same thing happens in Kettering.

Last winter there were 20 car thefts between November and December, and this year there were 10 more between January and February.

Kettering police added that most of the cars stolen while running happened between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m

“We understand that they want to stay warm. Criminals do that too. And they will specifically look for people who leave their vehicles unattended and running. And they will take the car,” said Cynthia James, public information officer for the Kettering Police Department.

Both police departments recommend locking your car when warming up, even if it’s just sitting in your driveway. They also suggested using a remote start if your car is equipped with one.

“If you’re just going out to start the car, for safety reasons, don’t leave any valuables in it while it’s warming up,” James said.

Kettering police said they are trying to be proactive and increase patrols.

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