Vehicle Break-Ins Increasing, Broken Arrow Police Warn Car Owners

Broken Arrow Police are warning car owners about an increase in burglaries across the city. Broken Arrow police said they typically see an increase at the end of the summer and into the holiday season.

“People are wandering neighborhoods and parking lots - opening cars and stealing anything that's not nailed down in them,” said Broken Arrow Police Officer Chris Walker.

While the burglaries are frustrating to car owners, Walker said what’s even more alarming is the number of firearms being stolen from inside cars.

"That is high," said Walker, adding that 18 percent of car burglaries reported to BAPD involved guns.

Walker said car burglaries are just the beginning for some criminals. On November 1, officers arrested Stephen Leibowitz near the Broken Arrow Expressway and Elm Street. Leibowitz is accused of breaking into multiple cars and attempting to break into a home.

“Luckily that neighborhood has since calmed down since he's been arrested, but it happens all over town,” said Walker.

For the number of burglaries that get reported, police estimate about double that number go unreported. Police encourage car owners to help prevent the crime from happening.

"Number one: lock your cars up. Two - remove anything valuable. And number three: report it if you do have an auto burglary," said Walker.

Walker said another reason they encourage people to report car burglaries is so police can collect data and see crime trends in your neighborhood.