Forest Hills Chief Urges Residents to Keep Cars Locked

It only takes a few seconds to lock a car.

And it only takes a few more seconds to steal a GPS, CDs, cell phone or laptop computer from that car.

Forest Hills police Chief Chuck Williams is urging residents to make the effort to keep their vehicles locked when parked in driveways or on the street. 

"This is such an easy thing to do," Williams said. "If the car is locked, it's not entered."

When thieves canvas a neighborhood, they pass by locked cars, instead choosing the easier prey—a car left unsecured. It's easy money in the middle of the night, according to the chief.

And if the thieves are successful in a neighborhood, expect them to return for more, Williams said.

Most recently, a thief made his way through the Bryn Mawr and Edgewood Road neighborhoods, eventually moving into Edgewood Borough. There, he stole a car on Dewey Street, which was later recovered in Wilkinsburg.

Police were able to link the incidents because a key taken from a car entered in Forest Hills was recovered from the car found in Wilkinsburg, Williams said.

Over the past few years, police have apprehended about five or six thieves who have targeted unlocked cars in the borough.

What is frustrating for police officers is that, despite messages sent out to residents, many still don't keep their cars locked at night. It's something Williams doesn't understand, especially these days when generally most people simply need to click "lock" on their keyless remotes.

"It's difficult to get them to comply," Williams said.

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