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Cottonwood Heights Journal

A reminder from Holladay police: Lock it up

May 23, 2018 11:33AM ● By Aspen Perry

Holladay UPD reminds citizens to secure valuables. (Aspen Perry/City Journals)

By Aspen Perry  |   [email protected]

Nefarious activity tends to trend up during the warmer months when the nice weather brings more individuals out of hibernation — including those who might list stealing as their day job (or night depending the time of day they prefer).

“I believe residents of Holladay would be shocked at the number of people who are in and out of the city every day with one purpose in mind,” said Don Hutson, chief of the Holladay Unified Police Department. “To take advantage of any opportunity to steal anything they deem of value. It is their full-time job.”.

During April, Holladay UPD saw a stark rise in thefts within vehicles, as well as the vehicles themselves in a couple cases.

Holladay UPD has reminded residents to lock and secure their cars before leaving. Many of the car theft cases, involving items ranging from valuable electronics in plain sight to smaller items removed from glove compartments and/or middle consoles, were from unlocked vehicles.

“I can’t emphasize enough the importance of securing valuable property and making it difficult for prospective perpetrators by locking your doors and windows,” Hutson said.

He further noted the importance of residents not only keeping valuables out of plain sight, but also keeping an eye on suspicious activity — especially during warm months. 

“As weather becomes more temperate, more people are on the streets all hours of the day,” Hutson said. “It becomes more difficult for us to identify suspicious behavior based on abnormal foot traffic.” 

In addition to personal items being stolen, in two cases vehicles left running and unlocked were stolen. One of those was left unattended for mere moments before the owner returned to find their vehicle gone. 

This serves as a reminder to all in the community to keep their valuable property secure from all who might be waiting in the shadows for an easy thieving opportunity.