The day began with Lenexa police officers on Norman Schwartzkopf’s block responding to a stolen car.
Unfortunately it doesn’t come as a huge surprise to Schwartzkopf and his friend Rick Reagan.
“It’s a really nice neighborhood and nobody really pays attention because those things don’t happen here,” Reagan told 41 Action News. "But unfortunately people who do such things know this is a nice neighborhood, and they do happen here.”
Earlier Tuesday morning the Lenexa Police Department tweeted:
Aaaaaaand there goes a stolen car that was warming up. Seriously, we cannot make this any more clear. Do not leave your car ? ? unattended
— Lenexa Police (@LenexaPolice) December 6, 2016
Master Officer Danny Chavez called it a crime of opportunity.
“This particular type of auto theft is just so preventable. You’ve got vehicles running, keys in the ignition, car usually unlocked.”
Numbers show crooks are hard at work this time of year.
In December 2015, 10 stolen vehicles were reported to the Lenexa Police Department. Compare that to just 13 in the first 5 months of 2015.
The Lenexa Police Department wants to get the message out to everyone in the Kansas City metro area that it’s much easier to deal with cold temperatures than it is to file a police report and an insurance claim.
“It’s very frustrating because unfortunately we can predict this coming,” Chavez told 41 Action News. “You really have to fight that temptation.”
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Kevin Holmes can be reached at Kevin.Holmes@KSHB.com
