Car prowls up 20 percent in Portland

Car prowls are up 20 percent in the city, according to new crime statistics released by the Portland Police Bureau.

According to the statistics compiled through Oct. 25, all Part I crimes are up 2 percent over the same time period in 2013. Part 1 crimes are the most serious crimes and include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft, and arson.

Crime statistics are regularly available by visiting www.portlandpolice.com and using the CrimeStats tool.

When it released the statistics, the bureau said it wants to remind community members to never leave valuables in their car to attract opportunistic thieves. This includes bags, purses, wallets, briefcases, laptops, tablets, cell phones, loose change or anything that may appear valuable to a thief in plain view.

If you must store anything in your vehicle, keep it out of sight and secure. When possible, park in busy, well-lit areas and keep the interior of the vehicle "showroom" clean.

Also, if you are the victim of a car prowl, the Police Bureau encourages victims to file a police report online by visiting www.PortlandPolice.com

Additional crime prevention tips can be found by visiting the City of Portland's Office of Neighborhood Involvement Crime Prevention page regarding car prowls, www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/article/320547

Additionally, the Portland Police Bureau released a video in 2009 titled "Confessions of a Car Prowler," which can be viewed at youtu.be/De5IHBoGz6A