***image1***Recently, you may have noticed a new police blotter column in the Kaiserslautern American. The blotter column is a joint initiative between the public affairs office and security forces, and feedback has been positive.
We created the column by using information from the 435th Security Forces Group police blotters. What you read each week is only a snapshot of our enormous weekly caseload, which could nearly fill this newspaper.
The main goal of the police blotter column is to educate KMC members about the types of incidents which occur here, and for everyone to think about how they could have been prevented.
For example, I’m particularly concerned with a steady increase in the number of car break-ins in the KMC, both on and off base.
Too often, people leave their cars unlocked. I recently attended a meeting with senior members of the Kaiserslautern Polizei, and they’ve also noticed that Americans do not always lock their cars.
Unfortunately, many property crime victims fail to take basic precautions to protect their property.
Most car break-ins could be prevented by simply locking the car door or by removing valuable property in the car.
The thieves looked for targets of opportunity, and unlocked cars are easy scores. Also, many victims left valuables in plain view, which made it even easier for the thieves.
From a force protection standpoint, a staggering number of military ID cards and uniforms are stolen from vehicles.
These items could be used by terrorists to penetrate our bases. Think about that before you leave your wallet in your car overnight. And remember that your wallet contains everything someone would need to steal your identity.
Also, if your car stereo happens to be worth more than your car, you should invest in a good alarm system.
And if you have an expensive set of rims, you should buy some wheel locks and don’t leave the wheel lock key in the car. That’s the first place a thief will look.
If a thief has decided to break into your car, he will probably succeed. However, you can take steps to deter most thieves so they’ll look for another target. So, take the extra time each day to remove your valuables, uniforms and wallet from your vehicle.
Always secure your car, even during short stays. It could save you time, money and the hassle of filing a police report and an insurance claim.
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News for the Ramstein, Kaiserslautern, Landstuhl & Baumholder military communities in Germany 
***image1***Recently, you may have noticed a new police blotter column in the Kaiserslautern American. The blotter column is a joint initiative between the public affairs office and security forces, and feedback has been positive.
We created the column by using information from the 435th Security Forces Group police blotters. What you read each week is only a snapshot of our enormous weekly caseload, which could nearly fill this newspaper.
The main goal of the police blotter column is to educate KMC members about the types of incidents which occur here, and for everyone to think about how they could have been prevented.
For example, I’m particularly concerned with a steady increase in the number of car break-ins in the KMC, both on and off base.
Too often, people leave their cars unlocked. I recently attended a meeting with senior members of the Kaiserslautern Polizei, and they’ve also noticed that Americans do not always lock their cars.
Unfortunately, many property crime victims fail to take basic precautions to protect their property.
Most car break-ins could be prevented by simply locking the car door or by removing valuable property in the car.
The thieves looked for targets of opportunity, and unlocked cars are easy scores. Also, many victims left valuables in plain view, which made it even easier for the thieves.
From a force protection standpoint, a staggering number of military ID cards and uniforms are stolen from vehicles.
These items could be used by terrorists to penetrate our bases. Think about that before you leave your wallet in your car overnight. And remember that your wallet contains everything someone would need to steal your identity.
Also, if your car stereo happens to be worth more than your car, you should invest in a good alarm system.
And if you have an expensive set of rims, you should buy some wheel locks and don’t leave the wheel lock key in the car. That’s the first place a thief will look.
If a thief has decided to break into your car, he will probably succeed. However, you can take steps to deter most thieves so they’ll look for another target. So, take the extra time each day to remove your valuables, uniforms and wallet from your vehicle.
Always secure your car, even during short stays. It could save you time, money and the hassle of filing a police report and an insurance claim.