River Hill Hit By Rash Of Thefts

This went out last Friday:

Alert! Numerous Break-ins throughout the community

All Block Captains and River Hill Residents,

Early this morning there were numerous thefts from vehicles in the Village of River Hill. In some instances the vehicles were left unlocked while in others windows were broken out to gain access. The South Wind Circle area (off of Trotter Road) was particularly impacted. Cash, GPS systems, and credit cards were among the items stolen. In addition, three breaking and entering incidents also occurred overnight. River Hill High School and two area business were affected.

Please remember to remove all valuables from your vehicles and to lock your car doors. Better yet, park your vehicles in a locked garage! Be sure to keep the doors to your house and garage closed and locked, even when working in the yard.

Keep an eye out for criminal activity. If you notice something suspicious or a crime in progress, call 911 immediately. If you are the victim of a crime, please promptly report the incident to the Police Department by calling 410-313-2200.

The Sun says Howard County has seen a 40 percent increase in vehicle break-ins in 2008.

So far this year, police say they have received more than 2,500 reports of thefts from vehicles. Last year, there were 1,800 during the same period. Stolen items include personal electronics, GPS units, purses, briefcases and cash, police said.