Auto Theft Rises in Oxford During Summer Months

Oxford Police give warning to residents about Summer car burglary numbers rising

Oxford police say this warmer weather will increase the odds of your car getting broken into or stolen. According to the FBI’s latest Mississippi crime statistics- Oxford reported 12 motor vehicle theft cases in 2017. This number might seem small, but it’s just about double the number of cities similar to Oxford- like Madison, which had only 7 reported motor vehicle reports for the same time period. 

Lieutenant of Investigations Chris Case says motor vehicle theft is just one concern when it comes to securing your car.

“We have stolen vehicles every now and then, but nothing like the auto burglaries — they just take the stuff in the vehicle. Very rarely do we have keys left in vehicles, but there have been instances where there had been keys in the vehicle and the vehicle was taken,” says Lieutenant Case.

Motor vehicle theft is when someone takes your car without your permission with no intention of returning it. Theft from cars, however, is a bit different. This can range from someone taking parts on the outside of your car, or taking items from the inside. Both of these things can be prevented; however, if you invest in some anti-theft devices for your car.

Brannan Auto and Glass owner Chris Groner says there are many different options to keep your car safe.

“There are GPS monitors that are available to you to put on vehicles, and they have stickers you can put on the back glass saying this car is monitored by that,” says Groner.

The most stolen car in Mississippi is a full-size Ford pickup truck- but overall mechanic Ronnie Harwell says older car models are the most vulnerable since manufacturers are now beefing up security in new cars.

“Cars nowadays, well all cars, come from the factory with an anti-theft system built into the cars,” says Harwell.

Auto repairman Patrick Lott says there are ways you can protect an older vehicle.

“If you have an older car you can bring it in and you can buy your security system online or we can order it and put it in for you. That would be an awesome thing to do,” says Lott.

Last year Ole Miss student Alex Schneider was a victim of auto theft- but since then she’s made sure her car is prepared and secure.

“My car alarm wasn’t working, and when I took it into the shop they told me that my car alarm system was broken. So, I’ve gotten it fixed and I’ve gotten it checked since then to prevent my car from getting broken into in the future,” says Schneider.

In addition to anti-theft devices, you should always lock your car and keep valuable items out of sight. 

Story contributed by Madalyn Bierster and Ashley Muller.