Statistics from the Kenai Police Department show that vehicle thefts in Kenai rose steeply from 4 in 2012 to 10 in 2013.
Kenai Police Chief Gus Sandahl described the pattern of thefts…
Sandahl: “The vehicle thieves they steal the easy ones. They steal those vehicles that are unlocked and have the keys inside. Sometimes even the keys are left in the ignition.”
Sandahl said the department would like to see that number go back down and encourages the public to take precautions.
Sandahl: “I would just encourage everyone to lock their vehicles when its unattended and its a good idea to secure the keys outside the vehicle. Even if you’re just running in someplace for a couple minutes sometimes those are the ones that get stolen.”
So far this year Chief Sandahl said he could only think of one vehicle theft from outside the city limits and that was found and returned.
