SHALER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Police believe a recent uptick in car break-ins in Shaler Township is originating from outside the township.
“Through our investigations, we’ve found that the majority of these mostly juvenile actors are coming from the city of Pittsburgh,” said Lt. Josh Watkins said of the Shaler Police Department.
Police found that juveniles will get dropped off in stolen vehicles and walk from street to street. Channel 11 received doorbell camera video of these thefts happening near Elmwood and Sutter Road in April.
“They will steal the car if possible. They will find anything of value, locate firearms if someone were to leave that in a vehicle,” said Watkins.
Watkins says that, by simply locking your car, this could all be avoided.
“They are doing their best to avoid drawing attention to themselves. So, they’re not going to set off a car alarm,” said Watkins. “They’re not going to create a noise that would cause the police to be called. They are looking to do it under the radar and as discreetly as possible.”
He said these cases are difficult to solve because the suspects are juveniles in stolen cars, even with technology like doorbell cameras, license plate readers and traffic cameras. The department is now more aware of the uptick in thefts and will be on the lookout.
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