CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — Cheektowaga Police are warning residents in the Cleveland Hill area and beyond to remember to always lock their car doors.
Police say they have seen a sharp rise in the number of car thefts. On Tuesday, December 1 the department took three reports for stolen vehicles from residents all the Cleveland Hill area.
Authorities say the thefts occurred within the 6 a.m. hour and two of the vehicles were left running with the keys in vehicle while residents were warming it up before work.
"With the colder weather upon us, we would like to make everyone aware that these crimes are taking place and remind everyone to keep their vehicles locked at all times and not to leave your keys in the car. Additionally, leaving an unattended vehicle running with keys inside the vehicle is a violation of NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law," said Brian J. Gould, Assistant Chief of Cheektowaga. Police
The third vehicle that was stolen on December 1 had a spare set of keys left inside the vehicle, while another recently stolen vehicle from a separate day was the result of a customer who left their car running while they went into a convenience store.
Cheektowaga Police say that from October 1 to December 1 of this year, the department took 33 reports of stolen vehicles.
In 2019, Cheektowaga Police only took six stolen vehicle reports during that same time period.
