St. Paul Police have replied, as usual, to another increase in car thefts this winter.
Public Information Officer Steve Linders stated 68 cars were stolen last week alone — with 38 of those cases because of the people leaving their cars running, unattended and unlocked.
“It’s across the city,” Linders stated. “East Side. North End. Highland. Frogtown. Pretty much everywhere, anywhere there’s a car running.”
The department tweeted previously in the month that nine unattended cars were stolen in two days.
Police added that the stolen cars are often then used for committing more serious crimes, ranging from robberies to drive-by shootings. And when officers happen to spot the stolen cars on the streets, there can be more problem.
“Sometimes, these drivers are fleeing in stolen automobiles. And that’s creating dangerous situations in our neighborhoods,” Linders stated. “Sometimes, they’re taking off at high speeds.”
In one particularly unusual example, suspects led police on a chase from St. Paul after they had stolen an unattended car — and then stole yet another unattended car in Blaine after they crashed the first car.
