An increase of cars being broke into at Scott County

SCOTT COUNTY, Mo. (KBSI) – Sikeston, Benton, Charleston, are all towns in Scott County that are dealing with cars being broken into with belongings being stolen.

Police are saying the targets are too easy. Many of the break ins are dealing with cars and trucks that were left unlocked overnight. 

“They’re mainly just looking for an easy target as in somebody who’s just left their vehicle unlocked with valuables inside,” said Rowe. 

Scott County dealing with cars being messed with and items being stolen. 

Tyler Rowe with Sikeston Department of Public Safety says the entire county is aware of this issue. Rowe keeps encouraging the public to make sure you lock your vehicles because you never know what can end up in the wrong hands. 

“We are aware of these prowlers the suspicious people in these neighborhoods what we’ve asked for the residence in the neighborhoods help is to give us any surveillance video they have and calling in whenever they see them and with proactive patrol with our officers just constantly being out and about through all hours of day and night Trying to locate identify and stop these break-ins,” said Rowe. 

Sikeston was the hardest hit for break-ins. The cars are not being stolen but anything of value inside the car is. 

“We’re not seeing the stolen vehicles as much anymore than what we are seeing is the thefts of credit cards wallets. Anything of value left inside the car,” said Rowe. 

For Scott County Sheriff, Derick Wheetley, vehicle break ins are nothing new. This is something he has dealt with multiple times in over two decades of law enforcement, but this time he finds details of the uptick shocking. 

“Here in the county over the past week, we’ve seen an increase in car break-ins. We’re seeing a lot of electronics, cash, guns. We encourage people to really lock up vehicles, hide your valuables and especially take your guns in at night. I know we’re a small town in general and the county is a smaller county so we think it’s not going to happen to us but at the end of the day it does happen to us,” said Wheetley. 

Sikeston and Benton Police Department both are encouraging everyone to not ever leave their keys in their cars and make sure anytime you are not in the vehicle to lock it.