Vehicle Burglaries In El Paso Still On The Rise This Christmas

Throughout the year, vehicle burglaries in El Paso have been on the rise and the reason may be a silly and simple one for El Pasoans.

El Paso has seen an increase in car burglaries throughout the city. Burglary of vehicles in the city of El Paso are up 25% compared to last year, according to the El Paso Police Department. Out of the 1,631 vehicle burglaries that have happened in El Paso this year, 85% of the vehicles burglarized were left unlocked.

These burglaries could have all been prevented by people doing one simple thing: locking their cars.

In an interview with WDSU, security expert Mike Cahn gave advice on how people can protect themselves against car theft. He also explained how people should never leave anything in your unlocked vehicle with your home address or personal information:

"Once someone steals your identity they can go up and open 10 different accounts and credit cards. Run each account up to $10,000-$20,000. Next thing you know you apply for something and your credit is destroyed."

Criminals can also steal other things, just as valuable as your identity:

"If you have any weapons in your car obviously you should take those out and bring them in your house. If you do leave them you should absolutely lock your doors. If someone gets one of those weapons, they can obviously start doing other crimes, they can kill people."

The El Paso Police Department wants El Pasoans to remember to lock their cars during the busy holiday season. Check out the video above and remember to protect yourself and your valuables while you're out shopping this holiday season.