BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Police in Bloomfield Township are alerting residents to an increase of car thefts over the past month.
"December 1 through the 31st, we’ve had 10 vehicles stolen with the keys left inside," public information officer Heather Glowacz with Bloomfield Township police told 7 News Detroit on Thursday.
According to Glowacz, that's a shocking uptick.
"A few have been recovered," Glowacz said. "Detroit is a majority of time where people are taking the cars after they’re stolen."
Glowacz said sometimes, the car is sold, stripped for parts or used to help commit other crimes.
Plus, it's not just cars being stolen that's on the rise.
Glowacz said that since Dec. 1, there have been 30 incidents where a resident has once again left their keys in the car; the car is not stolen, but all the items inside are.
"Expensive bags, $4,000 Chanel purses, very expensive strollers, car seats," Glowacz said. "It’s all higher end things. They’re not going in and stealing change."
According to Glowacz, they don't believe this is the work of a particular crime ring but rather a crime of opportunity.
Other affluent metro Detroit communities like Birmingham and Beverly Hills are also being targeted.
The advice is to lock your car and take your keys with you.
"There’s crime everywhere and we just want our residents to make sure they are taking care of themselves, so they don’t become victims," Glowacz said.
