MACON, Ga. — Car break-ins are still a concern in Bibb County.
Last week, we told you about over 100 break-ins that left people with broken windows and glass to vacuum up. That was from information publicly shared by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office in their crime reports from just one month ago.
Now, we have year-to date numbers, and they paint an even worse picture.
13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha shows you where those numbers are coming from and how you can prevent your car being targeted as much as you can.
“I walked up to my car and I just saw glass shattered all over the floor,” says Sarah Awad, a recent graduate at Mercer University.
She didn't expect her car that's parked on campus to ever get broken into.
“Nothing was stolen,” Awad explains. “However, it kind of made me feel unsafe in my car because it wasn't just me, it was a lot of people, too."
We asked the Bibb County Sheriff's Office for numbers on car break-ins and thefts in the past five months. In 2022, there were around 730 of those in the county.
In 2023, that number increased almost by 100.
However, Captain Wilton Collins says there's more to those numbers than we think.
“Cars left with the keys in them, cars left unlocked, left a gun in the car, left a wallet in plain sight,” Collins explains.
He says over half of car thefts and break-ins happen because owners don't always take precautions.
“There may have been something that you overlooked, and I don't think people realize how fast these things can happen,” he says.
Collins says he knows how car thieves think.
“First thing I'm going to try is the door,” he explains. “Then, I'll probably go to the next car because I have three or four to choose from, if I'm so inclined. I'm also going to look inside and see if I can find anything."
So, it's important to take valuables inside when you can or put them out of plain sight if you can't. Don’t forget to lock your doors.
Nothing is 100% effective, but Collins says you can make it harder for someone to victimize you.
“You can still do everything right and something bad can happen to you. We hate the fact that it happened, we'll do everything we can to catch the guy, but help us help you,” Collins explains. “Get your guns out of the car, get the power tools out of the back of the car. Don't stop and leave your car running and pop into the cleaners."
Collins says if you're following all of his advice, getting a Ring camera or car cameras can add a layer of protection in case something bad does happen.
He says many criminals get discouraged if they know they're being recorded.