Locking Your Car is Key

PREVENT AUTO BURGLARY, LOCKING IS KEY – This is the slogan that the Gulfport Police Department recently created then set up for public viewing on Wednesday, March 13 with the help of a solar-powered electronic traffic sign they borrowed from the Pinellas County Public Works Department, said Commander Joshua Stone. “We had been noticing that vehicle burglaries have spiked in the last few months,” he said. “Some folks may think that crime is high because of this but it is something that is occurring throughout the county. It’s not exclusive to Gulfport. We really want to stress to folks that it is one of the easiest crimes that occurs in our city and it’s also the most preventable. Prevention is key. Locking is key.” The sign is facing east on the southwest corner of Gulfport Boulevard South and 49th Street South for a few weeks, he said. In the future, the department plans to borrow the sign again and place it in different locations throughout the city. The department is also spreading this message through social media on their neighborhood watch Facebook where they regularly post incidents that occur as a reminder to people to always secure their property. “We do understand that some people don’t use social media. So, we’re trying a number of things and this is one of them to spread the message that if your vehicle is unattended, make sure it’s locked.”