KENT COUNTY, Mich. — The Kent County Sheriff's Office is asking residents to lock their cars and be wary of leaving valuables in cars when visiting local parks after a rash of thefts.
Sheriff's investigators say several cars were broken into recently at Townsend and Millennium Parks.
Deputies say these appear to be crimes of opportunity with criminals stealing personal items like wallets and purses, while people are using the trails.
“There's the potential that it could be a crew of suspects from out of state, they tend to come in, they'll hit these different areas, they leave for a while they come back again,” said Sgt. Eric Brunner with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say this is different from the recent uptick in overnight car thefts involving juveniles.
These crimes are targeting cash, credit cards and checks. These crimes are reportedly happening between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m.
They are reminding everyone to lock their cars and take valuables with them or put them somewhere out of sight.
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