KETTERING — An area neighborhood has seen an increase in vehicle break-ins, according to police.
News Center 7′s Malik Patterson spoke to Kettering police on News Center 7 a 5 p.m., and they believe it is juveniles doing this.
Within the last month, most of the break-ins have been around apartments, but the more it happens the more paranoid people are getting.
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“My car getting stolen is one of my biggest fears,” Rachel Sommerkorn told News Center 7.
Sommerkorn is on high alert since thefts in her neighborhood are on the rise.
“Because we drive a (Hyundai) Sonata in the years that seem to be targeted in our neighborhood. And it freaks me out so we’ve clubbed our car,” Sommerkorn said.
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Kettering Public Information Officer Cynthia James said the last break-in was last night at 1 a.m. She said the criminals are getting smarter.
“They’re figuring out ways that we couldn’t even think of to take these cars,” James said. “They have technology to rewire your key fobs. To where they have a key to your car without having your an actual key to your car.”
Kettering police have a new proactive unit called intelligence-led policing, taking crime scene data and matching it with other agencies to find trends.
Sommerkorn said neighbors are also taking action.
“Honestly it’s been more community to community versus law enforcement walking around or posting about it asking if we seen anything or to check our cameras,” Sommerkorn said.
Police are asking neighbors in the area of Lakewood Drive, Moler Drive, and Richfield Drive to keep an extra eye out. If you see anything between midnight to 6 a.m., police say to call immediantly.