Car burglaries within the city are on the rise and with the holiday season approaching, police are encouraging residents and shoppers to take more care in protecting their cars and valuables from theft.
From 2008 to 2009, crimes of burglary of motor vehicles increased 21 percent, ranging from smash-and grabs to thugs simply finding and opening unlocked car doors and taking what they want.
During January to September 2009, police recorded 252 crimes involving car break-ins and burglaries compared to the same period in 2008, police recorded 207 crimes, according to Cedar Park Police Cpt. Jeff Hayes.
Just last week, in the early morning hours of Oct. 28, police arrested Zachary Garrett Huskin on three accounts of burglary of a vehicle.
Police responded to a suspicious activity call by a neighbor just before 2 a.m., Hayes said, and located the suspect who matched the description, and arrested him.
Huskin, who was moving through the neighborhood on a bicycle, confessed to three burglaries, Hayes said.
Police canvassed the neighborhood for additional burglarized vehicles but found none. An additional item found in Huskin’s possession was not identified by the three victims, which indicated there could be at least one other burglary not yet discovered.
In Huskin’s case, and many others reported throughout the year, the break-in was easy. All three cars burglarized by Huskin had been unlocked.
And while car burglary crimes happen often during the night, thieves look for opportunities even in broad daylight.
“These are crimes of opportunity,” Hayes said.
The biggest spike in this type of crimes for both years came during the summer months – June through September.  However, 2009 showed a 32 percent increase over the same time period in 2008.
In June through September 2008, there were 96 burglaries of motor vehicles and criminal mischief reports related to car burglaries compared to 127 incidents reported this year.
“We often see an increase of car burglaries in the summer months,” Hayes said. “This is commonly attributed to an increase in juvenile crime activity as school is out for the summer.”
Hayes said many of the juvenile offenders are not from Cedar Park but drive to the city from Austin, Round Rock or surrounding areas.
The recent arrest underscored that point.
These crimes, however, are not violent, and, according to a recently released report and, according to a recently released report by the Texas Department of Safety for 2008 Cedar Park is ranked as having the second lowest crime rate in Texas, among cities with 50,000 to 100,000 in population, Police Chief Henry Fluck said.
Still, both Fluck and Hayes encourage residents to be more aware of their valuables and surroundings.
Because Cedar Park is a large residential community with a large number of homes with cars, Hayes said, this results in an environment for this type of crime.
To counter that environment, Hayes offers the following car burglary prevention tips.
If you have a garage, use it when possible. Make sure to close and secure the garage door. Officers often find an open garage doors that not only allow access to items in the garage, but can allow unauthorized entry into a home.
Roll up windows and lock all vehicle doors. Practice this whenever parking, not only overnight in front of a home. If you have a car alarm – activate it.
Remove valuables from the vehicle or secure them in the truck of your car. Many items such as computers and other electronics, cash, checks, credit-cards, wallets, purses, backpacks, car keys as well as other valuables are often reported stolen.
Park in a well lit location away from the street if possible. Consider improving any security lighting in your driveway or around your home. Well-lit areas deter criminals from taking advantage of the cover of darkness.
Be aware of what’s going on in your neighborhood. Always report suspicious or unusual activity to the police.  Get your neighbors together to start a Neighborhood Watch Program.
If you are a victim of car burglary, make sure you have recorded serial numbers of any valuables and mark all your valuables with some unique identifier if possible.
Hayes said the best way to counter becoming a victim of this type of crime is “lock up your goods, take your stuff inside and close the garage doors.
“Watch for your neighbors,” he said, “and report what you see. We’re happy to check it out.”
To report suspicious persons or activity, call the Cedar Park Police Department at 259-3600, ext. 0. A public service announcement with recommended safety tips for preventing car burglaries is available on the police department’s page at the city’s Web site at www.cedarparktx.us.