Why don’t you lock your car doors?

Is it because you are oblivious to warnings that unlocked cars are targets for thieves? Do you leave your house unlocked too? Do you leave your car running with the door open while you “just run in” for a few things at the Quik Pik?

As an editor I am tired of helping the Wake Forest Police Department issue warnings about the dangers of unlocked cars, particularly in subdivisions that have seen numerous car-content and whole car thefts – and I am sure the cops are weary also.

Wake Forest Police detectives identify two juveniles, thank public for help

On Tuesday, May 24, the Wake Forest Police Department announced that detectives had identified two juveniles in connection with the motor vehicle break-ins that occurred in the Bowling Green subdivision between May 15 and May 19. They will seek juvenile petitions for the two young males.

The department also issued the following statements. “The Wake Forest Police Department wishes to thank area citizens for their invaluable assistance throughout the investigation of these incidents.”

“We received several phone calls and tips from residents who helped us identify the subjects responsible for the vehicle break-ins,” said Chief Leonard. “Their capture is a direct result of our community’s willingness to assist us.”

The surveillance photographs showed one young male “in his late teens or early twenties standing approximately six feet tall, with short to medium-length dreads and a thin build. There was no photograph of the second juvenile described as a white male in his late teens or early twenties with medium length brown or red hair, and a thin build.

Police officials say most of the reported car break-ins in Wake Forest involve unlocked vehicles. Often, thieves engage in what is known as “car-hopping.” Car-hopping occurs when criminals roam neighborhoods at night, pulling on car door handles, hoping to find an open vehicle. Police say it’s a numbers game. For every 10 cars a criminal checks, they expect to find at least a couple open, so there is no need to physically break a window or door lock to get in.

The best way to avoid becoming a victim is by always locking your unoccupied vehicles, removing your valuable items and any extra set of keys from the vehicle, and double-checking to make sure your car is locked before going to bed at night. If an item can’t be removed, then it’s best to make sure it is out of sight to potential crooks looking for an easy target.

Making sure Wake Forest is a safe place to live and work requires the cooperation of the Police Department and the town’s residents. To report suspicious behavior or activity, call 919-554-6150 or 919-556-9111.

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Oh dear! We have teenagers shooting each other. Both the arrested shooter and the shooting victim of an incident which occurred at the corner of North White Street and East Spring Street in the afternoon of May 19 are under 18 years of age and will be treated as juveniles.

Another young man accused of abetting the shooting is 21 and from Kinston. He is in custody with a $500,000 secured bond.

Again anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the tip lines noted above.

There were three other shooting incidents in Wake Forest since the first of the year, and charges were filed in two instances. The first was on Jan. 25 in Traditions and there has been no arrest. The second was on Feb. 2 involving minors and charges were filed; and the third was on April 7 involving adults and charges were filed. No locations were given for the two earlier incidents. No deaths resulted from these four incidents, but lives have been altered. Why is it so easy for these young  people to get guns?

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