Car Thefts Top 100 in 2012 | Video

Chris Williams | 2/28/2013

Numbers are something that`s often talked about in Williston. How many barrels of oil are being pumped, how many wells are being drilled, or how much money something is going to cost. But there is another number in Williston that’s troubling to police, the number of car break-ins and thefts are at an all time high.

John Cecil owns Cecil Construction. On his lot, he used to have a trailer filled with tools.

"They cut the lock off the trailer, and they stole all my drills, saws, generator," Cecil said.

Detective David Peterson says there were 102 car thefts reported in 2012, and there were a number of vehicle break-ins.

"It used to be more of a contained area of town, but now it`s starting to spread out to other areas of town. We believe a lot of them are linked."

One of the biggest reasons car break ins are increasing, are people looking through your windows and seeing valuables left in plain sight. Once they spot valuables, Peterson says they`re having a pretty easy time getting in your cars.

"Our unlawful entries into motor vehicles, and then our theft motor vehicles, are just simply unlocked doors, keys left within the vehicle," added Peterson.

If your vehicle is stolen or broken into, there are two phone calls that are important to make.

"The most important thing is to let us know right away, that would be very important, and let the police know right away. Just cooperate with us, as far as where the vehicle was, when it got stolen, and what the circumstances were," said State Farm Insurance Agent Dwight Richter.

Even though cars are parked close to a residence, it`s still important to lock your vehicles.

"We are seeing these subjects that are stealing from motor vehicles, they`re blatantly walking up into driveways, looking into motor vehicles that are parked into driveways," Peterson added.

And that`s why Cecil put in some security.

"I just installed a new light in the back that stays on all night, so we can see what`s going on in the alley."

If you do have to leave valuables in the car, Peterson says put them in the trunk, and always make sure your car is locked.

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