Eden Prairie police share safety tips following uptick in car theft, break-ins

Eden Prairie Police Department shared several safety tips following several car thefts and break-ins in the past few days. Police said that there have been five reports of stolen cars since Sunday and 18 reported car break-ins.

In all five cases of car theft, the vehicles were parked in driveways or open garages, police said. The cars were also unlocked with the keys inside or nearby, according to officials.

Most of the cars that were broken into were also unlocked, police said.

In response to these incidents, Eden Prairie police shared the following tips to prevent car theft and break-ins:

• Do not leave your car unlocked and close all windows, sunroofs and convertible tops.
• Do not leave valuables in plain view. If you have valuables you need to store in your car, place them in the trunk before reaching your destination. Thieves have been known to look for people placing valuables in trunks who then walk away from their cars.
• Lock all entrances to your home, including garage service doors, and close overhead garage doors at night. Open and unlocked doors provide quick and easy access to cars, items in garages and homes.
• Lock all cars left in driveways or on the street overnight. Thieves can use garage door openers found in unlocked cars in driveways to access garages and homes.
• Do not leave valuables such as purses, wallets, keys and electronics in cars parked in driveways or garages overnight, also consider tucking them away inside your home, rather than leaving them by the door.

Police are asking residents to be alert and call 911 to report any suspicious activity.