Seymour Police warn residents after rash of car break-ins

SEYMOUR, Ind. (WDRB) -- Police in Seymour have received dozens of complaints of car break-ins over the last several weeks, a noticeable spike in crime for the small southern Indiana town.

"This is far above what we typically see," Seymour Police Officer Jeremy Helmsing said. "It looks like they're concentrated in certain areas."

Officers said several people, often working in groups, have targeted residential areas in the south and west parts of town. Investigators have many on camera looking through windows with flashlights before checking the handle to see if the car is unlocked.

“For the most part, the things that they are looking for seem to be wallets, electronics, things like that," Helmsing said.

It's happened the most in the Boulevards area, police say. In every single instance reported, the cars have been unlocked.

City leaders hoping to send a message that will help residents put a stop to this.

"It can happen to anybody," said Mayor Matt Nicholson, who had his car broken into Thursday night. "Best thing you can do is lock your doors. On the flip side of that, don't leave anything of value inside your car."

As many times as it has been reported, police say just as many incidents haven't been reported, because the thieves come away empty-handed. Seymour city leaders want that to change so they can find the culprits.

"There are people who have video footage out there, people are becoming more vigilant," Helmsing said. "So it's only going to be a matter of time until people are brought in for charges."

If your car is broken into, you're urged to call the Seymour Police Department at 812-522-1234.