RASH OF VEHICLE BREAK-INS REPORTED IN CITY

Cape Girardeau police urge people to take special precautions in view of a rash of vehicle break-ins over the past month.

Since January police have received a higher than usual number of reports on thefts from vehicles. There were 60 reports made during January, nearly twice the number during the same month last year. And between Feb. 1 and 4,19 reports of thefts from vehicles were received.

"It's significantly higher," said police Sgt. Carl Kinnison. "They're obviously taking anything of value, but the focus has probably been on stereo equipment and music CD's."

Kinnison said the thefts have not been specific to a region or type of vehicle. At least eight incidents were reported in neighborhoods near Boxwood and Sycamore streets, and at least five were reported on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

"Its purely random," said Kinnison. "They're occurring on the street, in parking lots and all over."

Police believe an individual or group may be responsible in part for the increase in thefts. Several of the break-ins were done in a style uncommon to the area, Kinnison said.

Residents can take several measures to deter thieves. The best is to park in an area that is well-lit, Kinnison said. Also, items of value should be removed, and owners should always lock their doors before they leave their vehicles.

Manufacturers have developed several theft-deterrent measures to protect vehicles and items kept in them. Car alarms have become increasingly popular, although Kinnison said they have limited effectiveness in deterring thieves due to a high number of false alarms.

Jeff Martin, mobile electronics specialist for Stereo One Inc., said car alarm systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Some systems are equipped with panic buttons that allow the car to be tracked via satellite, while others contact the owner by pager if it senses someone loitering around the vehicle for short periods of time.

"There are so many options for how people want to protect their vehicle," Martin said. "You no longer have to wait for damage to be done to your car before it comes into play."

Stereo manufacturers also are doing their part to protect music systems in vehicles. Stereos can now be installed with detachable faceplates that owners can take with them when they leave their vehicles. Detachable faceplates are not foolproof, however. The system can be stolen, and faceplates, although expensive, can be replaced.

"Detachable faceplates certainly are good for security if you remember to take the plate off," Martin said. "There's also a mask plate on the market that actually retracts into the dash and gives the impression that there's no stereo in the car."

The most advanced protection for stereos includes an insurance policy and guarantee from ESN Security, Martin said. The company makes a stereo that requires a person to reinsert a specific compact disc whenever the stereo is disconnected from its power source. If that disc is not inserted, the system must be returned to the manufacturer to be reprogrammed.

"The thief has five tries to reinsert the exact same CD. It's really bulletproof security," Martin said. "I generally recommend people buy something they're not going to listen to, program it, and then put it away. You don't even have to think about it after that unless the radio is taken out of the car or something is done to cause the radio to lose its memory."