Car Breakins / Cedar River Trail

[+naj3]

Yesterday my truck was broken into at one of the Cedar River trail access points (the one near highway 18. When we got back to the parking area I discovered my truck had been broken into. Busted out the drivers side window and looked for everything. The truck was there from 11:45 to 12:45. My purse didn't have much in it but they took it. Then Mr. Thief took the time to search for more. He found my wallet hidden under the seat and my checkbook hidden in another place.

 

I spent the next five hours on the phone canceling this that and the other. I'm a dumb person for leaving any of it in the truck. When I parked there were four other cars and all seemed well...no broken glass on the ground no signs of mischief. But still I learned a big lesson yesterday.

 

When I got to my truck another lady was getting her bikes out of her car. Hey…..you might not want to park here as my truck just got broken into I say. I'm not surprised she says...my friend’s truck got broken into last week here. I was just unloading the bikes and then I park my truck at the fruit stand across the street. HUH??? Oh yes she says, there are about five homeless people around here that are up to no good! In fact the highway 18 camera is turned toward here to see what's going on. Oh....

 

Then said friend pulls up while I'm on the phone with the police. She tells me her story...it's been going on for a while. Then mister officer informs me he just got a call two hours ago of a car break in at a trail access up 169 near by. GREAT!

 

I wanted to bring this to the forums because I received some good advice from other cachers about how to avoid this type of occurrence. I also know of other areas this has happened to other cachers. (Donelly park trailhead and Bellevue Blueberry farm parking area). I thought here we could share our thoughts and tips on the subject of protecting our cars so others can learn from my mistake and possibly where else this is a potential problem.

[+Lizzy]

It's been a few years, but my Explorer was broke into at the trailhead for the Old Robe Trail up Mountain Loop Highway. Was gone maybe 3-4 hours & when I came back, the back side window was broken out. I'm assuming that as soon as they reached in to pull the door handle, the alarm went off, because it was still locked up & nothing was missing. I thought the parking was safe since it was along the highway with all the summer traffic. I was wrong. I tried to report it to Granite Falls police dept. when I got back in town, and all I got was "not our problem"...no referral, nothing. I take it that at that time the different agencies did not work together. I've since heard that it is a problem at trailheads on the Mountain Loop hwy.

 

I'd love tips, suggestions, what to do to prevent break-ins. I know not to leave anything valuable inside, but what can I do to prevent car damage? Where else is this frequently happening?

[+naj3]

I'd love tips, suggestions, what to do to prevent break-ins. I know not to leave anything valuable inside, but what can I do to prevent car damage? Where else is this frequently happening?

 

Geodeez sent me this info which I thought was very helpful and I hope it is not aproblem to post it here.

 

We had the same experience at another location sometime ago. We learned how to avoid it. Do not leave anything in site that looks appealing. In my case I had a Sonicare tooth brush under my seat covered with a towel. They were hoping that I was hiding a purse but I wasn't so they didn't take anything. I always carry a fanny pack for my money pouch, cell phone and car keys. I never leave valuables in my car. I always keeps the floor clean so they can easily see that I'm not hiding anything. If I have a jacket or blanket I drape it over the seat so that they have a clear view.

 

Now some of this I can't really do because I travel with two kids and constantly have "stuff" in the car. Extra changes of clothes, bags of trade items and other caching supplies, extra coats. You name it and my truck has it in it. We live in it practically. My truck is obviously more of a target due to general bags of stuff then others maybe. Leaving an obvious looking purse on the front seat was invitation enough I would assume. That they took the time to look for more told me this was someone who does this a lot.

[+WATreasureHunters]

Geodeez's tips are great, and something I try to adhere to myself. Another thing is to take the "old" car, if you have a choice. We have a 2002 Grand Caravan and a 1990 Jeep Cherokee. Guess which one gets to take the trip to the trailheads? We empty it out of all the extras before we go, leave nothing appealing, and when my husband goes, he leaves the doors un-locked. I have a difference of opinion with him on that one, but I do see where he's going with it...

 

Trailheads along I-90 is another trouble spot. Most of the time you will see the tell-tale glass as you pull in to park.

[+naj3]

I drove an older truck I have to the summit of tiger to do some caching. When I got back all was well except my tires had been spiked. Discovered that after I got home. The truck had polaris and other snow mobile stickers on it. Maybe they weren't so aprreciated up there.

 

I like the suggestion of taking an older truck to trailheads I used to do that but then unloaded it recently. Maybe I shouldn't have.

Edited July 11, 2007 by naj3

[+geodeez]

I am told that there are certain vehicles that are more appealing than others when it comes to stealing the vehicle. However, a break-in is fair game for any vehicle that has potential for identity theft or valuables that can be sold on e-bay. We were driving our old 1991 Explorer when our window got trashed because the prowlers thought I was hiding a purse.

 

The rationale for leaving the window down is saving the cost of replacing your window if it gets trashed and saving the clean-up mess. The lady that I talked with whose husband makes a practice of leaving the windows open told me that they haven't lost a thing since he started that practice.

 

If you see broken glass on the ground when you park your car you will know that someone was the victim of a car prowl. I have seen it at Grandview Park, Des Moines Creek Trail, Tiger Mt. Trail, Kent Trail near the Golf Course, and Soos Creek Trail to name a few.

 

We were parked in Good Shepherd Parking lot for a class and when we returned a lady was returning to her car as well. She found her window smashed and the purse that she left on her seat was missing. We had nothing on the seat or floor and our vehicle was over looked.

 

The prowlers are professionals and act swiftly. They hit and they are gone.

 

A couple of years ago a geocaching friend was the victim of car theft. His car was a older model Toyota. It was not ever found. I am told that Toyota's are highly desirable because their parts are so interchangeable.

 

Our neighbor had an older truck stolen from the front of his yard last year. Car prowl and car theft is all around us. One of the reasons it is so prevalent is that the crime is not punished very severely if at all. The culprits just get more skilled at their craft.

[+Prying Pandora]

Perhaps the best advice is to believe that it can happen to you. I hear person after person say they know not to leave their purse in their car at trailheads, yet still they do it. Worse yet, sometimes they want to leave it in my car because they're willing to take the risk but not thinking that it's my window that's going to get broken. The same thing goes for backpacks, wallets, anything "hidden" with something draped over it, anything of value. Just don't.

 

If you absolutely must tuck something away in your car, do it before you get to the trailhead. Thieves watch for people hiding things in their car at trailheads. That will be the first car they hit.

 

This is not just a South King County problem. I have seen break ins or evidence of them at trail access points all over the Puget Sound area.

[+Difranco]

This is why I love having a Jeep at times. No doors or top. Keep nothing inside.

[+Lizzy]

I still lock my doors at trailheads, but I'm thinking this may not be wise. I don't believe that car-strippers? go to trailheads to steal airbags & radios - just valuables left behind. So maybe it would be better to leave the doors open. Now to find an old rust-bucket Datsun to drive....hmmmm

 

Thanks for the info!

[+TotemLake]

Some interesting theft lists...

 

LoJack's Top Ten List (Unknown year, I'm assuming 2006

Toyota Camry (1989)

Honda Accord (1994)

Honda Civic (2000)

Chevrolet C/K Pickup (1992)

Ford Full Size Pickup (1997)

Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee (1993)

Oldsmobile Cutlass/Supreme/Ciara (1986)

Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan (1994)

Ford Taurus (1996)

Toyota Corolla (2001)

 

The NICB top ten list—the number in parentheses is the model year most stolen for 2005:

Honda Civic (1995)

Toyota Camry (1989)

Honda Accord (1991)

Dodge Caravan (1994)

Chevrolet C/K 1500 (1994)

Ford F-150 (1997)

Dodge Ram Pickup (2003)

Acura Integra (1990)

Toyota Pickup (1988)

Nissan Sentra (1991)

 

Highway Loss Data Institute

Highest Theft Claim Rate for 2003-2005 model year vehicles

Cadillac Escalade

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab

Ford F-250 SuperCrew 4WD/Ford F-350 SuperCrew 4WD

Chrysler Sebring

 

HLDI Lowest Theft Claim Rate for 2003-2005 model year vehicles

Ford Taurus

Pontiac Vibe 4WD

Buick LeSabre

Buick Park Avenue

Toyota Sienna 4WD

[+Forty-n-Eight]

I just missed a car break in hunting a cache off Coal Creek Parkway. As I pulled up there were some sad looking people who had just had their car window smashed and laptop stolen. They said the police were on their way. I figured it was the safest of possible moments to leave my own laptop in my car and hop up the trail to the cache, so I did.