New Release - PARSONS POLICE WARN CITIZENS OF VEHICLE THEFT POTENTIAL

Date Posted: 10/26/2021

Date: October 26, 2021

Contact: Sgt. Jason Ludwig

Phone: (620) 421-7060

Email: jludwig@parsonspd.com

Car thieves are working the Parsons area and citizens are warned to take protective measures to safeguard their vehicles.

On Sunday, October 24th at approximately 11:50 pm the Parsons Police received a call reporting an individual breaking into a vehicle in the 1400 Block of Briggs. An alert neighbor saw a male subject in the vehicle. Officer Christian Smith was dispatched and found a green in color 1999 GMC Jimmy with the passenger door open. The suspect, possibly two, fled the scene when confronted by a neighbor. Inside the vehicle were tools not belonging to the owner. One of the tools had the name 'Seth Emert' written on the handle.

Other Parsons Officers conducted an area search but were not able to locate the suspect(s)

Then on Monday, October 25th at approximately 08:30 AM Corporal Ryan Shirk was dispatched to 3600 block of Gabriel for a report of a stolen vehicle. The vehicle stolen was a silver/gray in color 1996 Chevrolet S-10 pick-up with Kansas plate 879-NTZ. The theft occurred overnight between 10pm on Sunday, October 24th and 8:30 am on Monday morning October 25th.

On Monday, October 25th at approximately 2:30 PM Cpl Shirk was dispatched to the 2500 block of Broadway for an attempted theft of a vehicle. This vehicle was a 1999 Chevrolet Blazer, red in color. A hammer was found in the vehicle and the ignition appeared to have been 'punched'. A neighbor witnessed someone in the vehicle between 10:00 and 11:00 PM the night before.

It appears that car thieves may be targeting GM P/U's and Blazers in the model years of 1994 to 2004.

For now, there is no suspect. Thieves may be targeting this model range of GM vehicles due to how easy they can have their ignitions compromised.

"It's getting darker earlier, and this is a good time for citizens to start their nightly, 'It's Time to Lockup 9pm Routine," says Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks. "This national crime prevention program is pure common sense as Winter fast approaches at 9pm each evening conduct a quick security check to verify that:

Vehicles, garages & Sheds are locked.
Valuables are secured & brought inside.
Activate exterior lights, security cameras & alarm systems.

Don't be an easy target for a thief. Make it difficult. Do the 9pm Routine," said Spinks.

In 2020, the City of Parsons experienced a decline or 2019 in the core property crimes of burglaries (down 16% to 130), thefts (down 8% to 478) and vehicle theft (down 40% to 12 stolen cars).

According to Deputy Chief Dennis Dodd, "a major study done in New York shows an expected and dramatically significant correlation with crime at night. Specifically, at night there was a 39% reduction in index crimes[i] - a subset of serious offenses that includes murder, robbery, and aggravated assault, as well as certain property crimes, when outdoor security lighting is used at night. He went on to say, "with energy efficient and long-lasting LED lights there is no reason not to keep night lights burning strong all winter long."

The Strong Towns organization[ii] also notes how something as small as Street Lights can reduce crime. "Combining residential lighting, motion sensor lights and even battery LED yard lighting with energy efficient LED streetlights can be a bonus for crime prevention," concluded Spinks.

This continues to be an on-going investigation regarding vehicle thefts and attempted vehicle thefts and citizens are encouraged to "See It, Hear It, Report It." If anyone has any further information on this incident or any other criminal activity, please contact the Parsons Police Department at 421-7060 or call the Tip Line at 421-7057 or email at tips@parsonspd.com.

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[i] LED's Magazine. (3/13/18). Major study finds outdoor lighting cuts crime by 39%. Downloaded on October 26, 2021 from: https://www.ledsmagazine.com/architectural-lighting/article/16701511/major-study-finds-outdoor-lighting-cut-crime-by-39

[ii] Strong Towns. (5/9/19). How something as small as streetlights can reduce crime. Downloaded on October 26, 2021, from: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/5/9/how-something-as-small-as-street-lights-can-reduce-crime