Authorities Warn of Car Break-Ins

Officials are warning residents about a rash of car break-ins in Arlington.

Last week, according to the Ode Street Tribune, police told members of the Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights Civic Association that thieves have been smashing car windows in the Rosslyn area to steal GPS devices.

Yesterday, management of the Archstone Ballston Square apartments sent the following email to residents, suggesting that the number of break-ins is on the rise.

Dear Residents,

Within the past week, there has been an increase in reported thefts from cars garaged in the Ballston/Arlington area.  Recently, we have experienced several incidents where items have been reported taken from automobiles garaged at our community.  While we do not wish to alarm you, we did want to make you aware of the situation.  We share your concern regarding these incidents and are fully cooperating with local authorities.

We take great pride in providing you with a great living environment. To that end, it is important that we all understand that the protection of person and property is the sole responsibility of each resident.  As a reminder, and as specified in your Lease Agreement we encourage you to report any illegal or suspicious behavior. Please take a second look if something or someone appears out of place, or seems odd or curious. If you suspect troubling activity or suspicious individuals, call the concierge desk immediately or the Arlington County Police nonemergency number at 703.598.2222 703.558.2222. If there is clear and present danger, call 911. In addition, we ask you to be mindful of the following:

Please use safety measures when parking your car – lock all car doors and activate your car alarm if you have one

Do not allow unknown individuals to follow you into the community

Do not leave valuables such as laptops, GPS systems, cell phones, iPods, tools, etc in plain sight in your car

Report any suspicious or criminal activity immediately to the Arlington County Police Department (call 911)

Again, we certainly do not want to alarm you, but felt it was important to let you know of this activity.

There were 11 break-ins listed in the latest Arlington County crime report. The crime report typically only lists incidents in which more than one car was broken into.