Ozaukee County car thefts on the rise; authorities urge precautions

The Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office on Friday announced there has been a rise in car thefts in the county over the past week.

"The biggest thing is that people are not locking up their vehicles at night. They are leaving their key fobs inside their vehicle," said Ozaukee County Sheriff's Capt. Chad Eibs. "The vast majority of the thefts we see are from vehicles that are unlocked. They're bypassing a lot vehicles, and if they find a vehicle that is unlocked, they will enter it, and if the key fob is inside and the keys are inside, they'll take the vehicle."

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Authorities are urging the public to prevent such crimes by taking precautions:

  • Keep exterior lights and motion sensors on at night
  • Park vehicles inside a garage whenever possible
  • Keep car doors locked when parked outside
  • Remove valuables from vehicles at night, including garage door openers and other keys
  • Report any suspicious activity

Anyone with information regarding recent car thefts is urged to reach call the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office at 262-284-7172. To send an anonymous tip via TEXT message to the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, text the keyword: OZSO followed by your message to 847411.