Auto Break Ins in Phoenix? (Scottsdale, Goodyear: apartment, hotel, house)

[rickca]

I stayed in Goodyear last night in a Super 8 motel near the freeway, I was so tired after an 11 hour drive that I just wanted to go to my room and left my suitcase in the car, of course when I came out this morning the window was broken and the suitcase was gone, luckily my suit was still in the car, kind of funny as that was probably worth more than everything in the suitcases combined. I realize that its my fault for leaving stuff like that in the car overnight but I am wondering if you have to be careful everywhere in the Phoenix area like if you go into a store for an hour is it a good idea to make sure nothing is in the car? (like even emptying out the glove compartment and opening it up) I guess I'm not used to this, anyways any info is appreciated.

[tripper76]

Yes. Keep nothing in your car. If its visible, it will likely be stolen at some point. I have been broken into 4 times in about 3 years in various parts of the valley. I never experienced a break in in my life before moving here.

[azkylady2]

Originally Posted by rickca

I stayed in Goodyear last night in a Super 8 motel near the freeway, I was so tired after an 11 hour drive that I just wanted to go to my room and left my suitcase in the car, of course when I came out this morning the window was broken and the suitcase was gone, luckily my suit was still in the car, kind of funny as that was probably worth more than everything in the suitcases combined. I realize that its my fault for leaving stuff like that in the car overnight but I am wondering if you have to be careful everywhere in the Phoenix area like if you go into a store for an hour is it a good idea to make sure nothing is in the car? (like even emptying out the glove compartment and opening it up) I guess I'm not used to this, anyways any info is appreciated.

Car theft and burglary are a big problem here, I would imagine near a freeway in a motel parking lot would be more likely for such activity. Home invasion was a term new to me till I moved here, most home burglary that happen where I come from would occcur when a person was not home. It still amazes me that you can sit anything you don't want on your curb, and by dawn its gone. I wonder where do these people come from that take this stuff? Its a good tihng because you don't have to haul nothing off but still its a bit strange. Anway, Its always a good ideal to park your car in the most lite section of a motel lot and remove all your things in sight, or stash them in the truck and hopefully your car will be there come morniing.

[pinda]

Are you a lot safer from home invasion and burglaries if you live in a gated community? Is it safer the farther you get away from Phoenix?

My car was broken into this last winter just outside of Milwaukee, Brookfield, WI. I had everything out of the trunk and car except my winter down coat that I stuffed far back in the trunk because the forecast was -25 below zero wind chill and we had 2 hours to drive. That was my walking coat. The cop said they were looking for GPS and computers, so definetely take those out. That is all they got. My family all chipped in and fixed my window for me. We were at a family reunion at a hotel and yes, I was not in a very visible location. I was an easy target.

[BobLeeVegas]

It is not just Phoenix where this stuff happens!

Here in Cleveland, I have had 2 break-ins in the last 5 years.

I have learned the hard way to leave nothing of value in my car!

[Bummer]

Unfortunately, Rickca . . . a problem just about everywhere but still disgusting to hear.

As others have posted, probably no worse in Arizona than many other cities and towns around the country and you are absolutely correct . . . keep everything, valuable or otherwise, out of sight at all times.

[Rick Lee]

I got my window smashed in a parking garage in Newark, NJ about 10 yrs. ago. Scumbags left the radar detector alone and just took the registration. WTF? As it was Newark, NJ on a Sat. night, obviously, the cops were too busy to bother with me. Sure was cold driving home for 50 miles on the hwy. in January, missing a window.

[rickca]

I realize this happens a lot of other places, when I lived in San Diego it happened at my apartment, however in the town where I live (and am from originally) in northern California this has never been a problem, I leave stuff in my car all the time out in the open. I don't know why but for some reason I do get the feeling where this would happen a lot in Phoenix, I like the area from what I have seen so far but the place does have that kind of feel to it of criminals lurking around (speaking of the comment about things being taken from in front of a house and home invasions), well I guess I see why people here would carry guns.

Also speaking to the comment of "where do these people come from", I am pretty sure that it is drug users, probably people who are on meth that drive around all night looking for stuff to take, obviously a reasonable person would have something better to do with his or her time but the drugged out mental state makes for this sort of behavior, I know this sort of behavior all to well from experiences in the past with people close to me and the company they kept.

[sablebaby]

Yep, like others have said, leave nothing in your car. I have had a few car stereos stolen and my car stolen in N. Scottsdale - it happens EVERYWHERE!

[rickca]

Oh yeah I forgot about the whole car stereo thing, luckily the one I have in my car now is now removable (its a honda civic) so only a the lcd screen sticks out, you'd have to remove the entire dashboard to steal it, actually when I was in high school in my hometown my stereo was stolen.. I think these days its best to not have one at all.. just use an Ipod or something and plugin it in to the car, then take it with you when you're not in the car, the stereos are a magnet for thiefs.