“Operation Plain View” targets thefts from vehicles

Published June 27th, 2008

By Dale M. King
CITY EDITOR

It’s happening all over Boca Raton.

A motorist is pumping gas when someone approaches, apparently out of nowhere, and steal’s the woman’s handbag from the seat. 

Any property that’s in “plain view” inside a car, truck or SUV seems to be fair game for these hit-and-run crooks, police say.

Which is why Boca Raton Police Services has launched, “Operation Plain View,” a strategy to address the growing number of automobile burglaries in the city.

“In 2007, these offenses increased by 35 percent,” said Chief Dan Alexander.  “In 2008, the number of automobile burglaries has already increased by 11 percent.”

And the loot is not confined to purses. “The types of property targeted include electronic equipment (i.e. GPS, iPods and computers), handbags and other items often left in plain view.”

For years, the department has been warning people to remove valuables from vehicles – even if they leave them for just a moment.

But now, the force is putting more teeth into the effort.

Chief Alexander said the police department “has devised an aggressive, two-prong plan to tackle this problem.”

The operation, he said, involves the deployment of more marked patrol and undercover tactical units to hot spot areas, in addition to the regularly assigned patrol officers.

The Crime Prevention Unit and patrol officers, he said, will also step up efforts to distribute our “Gone in Four Seconds” cards when they
see property left in plain view.

“Automobile burglaries are very upsetting for the victims and frustrating for the police,” said Chief Alexander. “Many of these crimes could be easily prevented by simply remembering to remove valuable items from your vehicle.”

He said Operation Plain View will continue throughout the summer and the results will be evaluated on a monthly basis.