By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
January 14, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — During the days of negative temperatures, its tempting to turn your car on to heat it up before you go on your way.

Well, police want you to think twice before you start your car and walk away.

During the winter months, area law enforcement agencies see an increase in vehicles left running being stolen. For December 2014, there were a total of 21 vehicles stolen in the East Patrol Division because the car was turned on and unoccupied. Public Information Officer Jason Cooley said these crimes are often crimes of opportunity.

“If someone steals your car, they’re not being gentle,” Cooley said. “They’re abusing the cars and more than likely, they’re using them to commit crimes.

Not only is it tempting to the criminals, but leaving your car while it’s running is a violation of city ordinance. City Ordinance 70-251 prohibits a vehicle from being left running while unattended without the use of a remote starting device. Remote starters start the engine, but do not disengage the transmission like when you use a key. Cooley said the ordinance can’t be enforced on private property, but if a car is parked on a street or left running while someone runs into a convenience store, the owner could be cited for violating the ordinance.

Other crimes that usually rise in the winter, include burglaries, robberies and telephone scams. If it’s an unsolicited call, Cooley said it’s always best to play it safe. He also suggested remote starters and hand and car seat warmers as a safer alternative to leaving your car running unattended.

“These are reasonable expenses to the alternative,” Cooley said.

If you see something suspicious in your neighborhood, say something. Cooley said it is important to err on the side of caution, trust your gut in these situations and to not second guess yourself. It’s also important, he said, to have good relationships with your neighbors, because then you can alert them personally.

“The decision by someone on whether or not to start their car and leave it unattended or to stay with it makes a difference whether an officer could have a better response time on another emergency call in the city,” Cooley said. “When we’re handling these types of situations, which can be prevented, it ties up our resources. When people are making better choices and doing things to prevent these crimes from happening, our resources are freed up to deal with other emergency situations.”