Late on Friday, MPD issued a statement urging all District residents who stop to fill up their gas tanks to exercise caution, as a recent spate of thefts out of cars have occurred while customers are paying for their gas. Nine of these thefts happened in the MPD’s Sixth District, so extra vigilance in that area of the city is a good idea. From the release:

Suspects wait for a motorist to leave their vehicle unlocked and unattended and then quickly grab a purse, briefcase or other items while a customer is paying the cashier. In most cases the suspect is not seen committing the theft and often the suspect(s) are only seen fleeing in vehicles. It does not appear that these thefts are being committed by the same people, but are crimes of opportunity.

In other words, lock your doors when you go to pay for gas. It seems like common sense, but clearly it’s worth a reminder. Police gave this list of other tips to avoid becoming a victim of this type of crime.

* Pick stations that are well lighted and have surveillance cameras
* Pick stations along regularly traveled routes
* Always remove your keys and keep the vehicle locked
* Keep valuables out of sight
* Pick a gas pump nearest to the attendant
* Pay attention to your surroundings
* Don’t be distracted by cell phones, etc.

Photo by Sexy Fitsum