[GPD] The following is an APB Bulletin from the Glendale Police Department. Please note that none of these crimes have been reported in our canyon. We just want everyone to know what is going on in Glendale.

Glendale is experiencing an increase in burglaries to vehicles that contain tools and equipment.  There have been 23 of these incidents this year, mostly in the North, West and South Command areas, between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Victim vehicles were usually Chevrolet or GMC cargo-type vans that were parked on the street.  The most common method to enter the van was to punch through a door lock.  Vans with “cages” in the cargo area were still broken into.  Commonly stolen items are hand and power tools and equipment, along with GPS units that were left in the vehicle.

In one instance, a male in dark clothing was found committing a burglary to a work van.  He ran to a nearby waiting vehicle (a gold 4-door sedan) and escaped.

If you drive a vehicle that contains tools and equipment, you can reduce your chance of being victimized by parking in a garage or other secured area.  If this is not possible, park off the street in a driveway, particularly if the van is parked overnight at your residence.  An vehicle alarm would help significantly, and always remove valuables from sight.

Lastly, record all makes, models and serial numbers for tools and equipment.  Frequently, victims of vehicle burglaries cannot provide adequate information on stolen items.  If you become a victim, serial numbers can be entered into a nationwide database.  When a burglar is caught and items recovered, serial numbers can be checked to see if the item was stolen.

As always, be a good witness and call the police if you see anything suspicious.

To learn more of the police department's Area Command strategy, please follow this link: http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/police/area_command.asp