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LMPD: 65 stolen cars, 15 guns stolen from cars in past week

According to Louisville Metro Police, since Friday, July 12, there have been 65 reports of stolen cars in the metro area.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — When Kelvin Matthews walks onto the trail at EP Tom Sawyer Park, his mind is more focused on how he's going to finish his run in the blazing heat than someone breaking into his car.


"When I come out to a park or something like that, that's the last thing on my mind," he said.


But that might be because the retired law enforcement officer says he's always extra careful when it comes to his car.


"Always lock your doors. Double check," he said. "I always double check my door."


It's not a bad idea, especially with the number of car break-ins on the rise in Louisville. LMPD's 8th Division, which covers the area east of the Watterson to the Shelby County line and as far north as the Oldham County line, had 24 reports of car break-ins in the week of July 7. Eleven of those cars were unlocked and nine more were by "unknown means," which means it is possible that those cars were unlocked as well.


"We keep saying make sure you don't have valuables in your car. Make sure you lock your car," Major Jamey Schwab, the commander of LMPD's 8th Division, said. "But these criminals, they're still seeing the opportunity to go into vehicles. They're still getting cell phones. They're still getting cash. They're still getting credit cards."


Schwab said while there are some people who will plan their break-ins and target certain people or vehicles, most of the instances police are seeing now are what they consider crimes of opportunity.


"We really just see people coming in driveways and just trying doors, just seeing if they're unlocked," he said. "And if they're not unlocked, they move onto the next one."


But it's not just car break-ins that are on the rise. According to Louisville Metro Police, since Friday, July 12, there have been 65 reports of stolen cars in the metro area. During that same span, police have also reported 15 guns stolen from cars - many of those cars also unlocked.


"Leaving a loaded firearm in an unlocked car is just a recipe for disaster," Schwab said.


Schwab said if people are going to keep their guns in their cars, they should make sure they're secured, for example, with a gun safe that is bolted to the car. But Schwab said the best way to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them is to not leave guns in cars.


"Even though I was in law enforcement, when I go run or trail run, I never take my weapon with me," Matthews said. "Because I'll go out in the woods 15-20 iles and especially if I'm the only car there, I don't want to come back and my car's broken into and my weapon's gone."

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