ST. MATTHEWS, Ky. (WDRB) -- Maj. Tony Cobaugh, of St. Matthews Police Department, has a special term for the people targeting neighborhoods in St. Matthews.
"They're door flippers," he said. "They're flipping door handles looking for those cars that are unlocked, which obviously are the quickest ones to hop inside of and start rummaging through your console, rummaging through your glove department, looking on your back floor board, and under your seats."
As the coronavirus shakes up every corner of society, Cobaugh has noticed a trend: car break-ins and thefts have spiked. Overall, St. Matthews has responded to about 52 cases over the past month and has already produced several arrests.
"Now, these offenses include anything from literally where a vehicle is been gotten into and nothing was taken to four firearms, purses, wallets, credit cards, check books, key fobs," said Cobaugh.
He doesn't think it's just a St. Matthews trend either.
"From LaGrange into Oldham County and into the Eighth Division just east of us here in St. Matthews, they're seeing, I think, an uptick in similar crimes," he said.
Police in Seymour, Indiana, are also seeking tips after a string of break-ins there.
Louisville Metro Police Department, too, is seeing "slight increases" in some areas, but a spokesperson said the incidents have fallen city-wide so far this year after some key arrests.
But in Louisville, shootings are up during the coronavirus: 47, compared to 18 in the same period last year.
Chief Steve Conrad wrote, "The virus has in some ways contributed to creating an environment ripe for violence ... And the men and women of your police department are out here working hard every day, despite concerns about the impact the virus might have on them."
In St. Matthews, Cobaugh made a similar promise.
"Our third shift is actively looking every night trying to hunt down the folks that are breaking into automobiles in the City of St. Matthews," he said.
He encouraged people to lock their doors or at the very least apply some spring cleaning to theirs cars. Cobaugh said owners should remove from their cars valuables and anything else they don't need daily.
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