In just these first few months of 2023, the Salt Lake City Police Department says that 32 vehicles have been stolen after owners have left their keys inside.
Overall, the department has taken 77 stolen vehicle reports where keys were left inside of a running vehicle. Car owners will typically warm their car up in cold weather and leave them unattended, leaving room for thieves to step in and take advantage of the unattended vehicle.
Reports of these stolen vehicles have come after years of continuous warnings from law enforcement officials reminding people not to leave their cars attended. Sgt. Mark Wian says that everyone understands that they don’t want to go out and get inside of a cold car, but it’s not worth the risk to leave it unattended.
According to officials, it only takes a few seconds for someone to jump into an unattended car and take off with keys still inside.
