The Albuquerque Police Department says car break-ins happen all year long, but the department sees an increase in break-ins with the warmer summer months.

“Often, these types of crimes are crimes of opportunity,” “Thieves are looking for easy and quick targets. That happens a lot of times at areas like parks or pools or trails, and people are out recreating, and they can’t or don’t want to take their valuables with them.”

“If you leave a purse or a laptop or a wallet on your seat in plain sight, thieves are going to react to that, and they’re going want those valuables,” said a spokesman. “So, unfortunately, they’re going to find a way to get them.””

There are several things you can do to minimize the chance of your car being broken into. Perhaps the best piece of advice is to never leave valuables where would-be thieves can see them. If you remove the temptation they likely move on to another target. If possible, park in areas where video monitoring is clearly labelled too.

Unfortunately, as we approach the summer season there will be an uptick in vehicle break-ins. If you’re unlucky enough to have such an incident occur and have sustained auto glass damage contact Chapman Auto Glass at 505-228-5869. We’ll work with your insurance company to see what services are covered.