COLUMBUS, Ohio — FBI data shows the rate of car break-ins in Ohio has consistently been below the national average for years, but police in some communities are raising concern, as they’re starting to see their numbers rise.
What You Need To Know
- Columbus police say they’re seeing 5 to 10% more car thefts in the city during the first three months of this year compared to the same time last year
- Police say they’re trying to do everything they can to minimize those instances, while reminding others how to protect themselves
- One Ohio car break-in victim shares his story hoping to warn others
It’s a reality Richie Rathkopf knows well.
Rathkopf said it was a normal morning before heading into work when he noticed something unusual.
“I realized the car door was opened, the middle consol was up.”
He quickly realized his car had been broken into.
“I thought I locked it,” Rathkopf said. “We’ve been here for six years at this specific house, and we never had an issue before.”
He said fortunately, very little was taken, despite valuables left inside.
“They didn’t take any money,” Rathkopf said. “The only thing they took was just a stash of business cards and gift cards.”
But after posting what happened to him on social media in January, he realized he wasn’t alone.
“I put something on ‘What’s up, Delaware?’ and people were telling me that their car was broken into a few days earlier,” he said. “It was up the street, up those apartments.”
Delaware isn’t the only community dealing with a rash of break-ins. Seargent James Fuqua with nearby Columbus police says it’s a story he’s all too familiar with.
“We have seen a rise in car break-ins particularly in large-scale places, like businesses,” Fuqua said. “So, whether it’s a hotel or a restaurant or just a large business with a huge parking lot, we have seen an increase in that.”
He said they’re seeing 5-10% more car thefts in the city during the first three months of this year compared to the same time last year. That’s why Fuqua said police are doing everything they can to minimize those instances.
“We’re stepping up our patrols in these areas of where car break-ins have been occurring more aggressively,” he said.
But he adds there are ways we can protect ourselves as well.
“We always advise people to always secure valuables that are in your car,” Fuqua said. “So, never leave them in plain sight. If you have things of value, completely remove them from your car or put them in your trunk in a secure place where people cannot see them.”
Meanwhile, Rathkopf can only hope his story warns others.
“I wouldn’t want it to happen to anyone else,” he said. “It’s just scary.”
