Warmer weather, holidays providing opportunity for thieves

EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WWLP) - Summer is usually the peak time for car break-ins, but recent mild temperatures have created an unusual uptick in the crime.

“This is something we experience normally during warmer weather,” East Longmeadow Police Sgt. Dennis Sheehan said. “I think with the milder weather we’ve had, the suspects are taking advantage of being out there at night.”

Two “ smash-and-grabs” were reported late Monday night on Colony and Tamarack Drives, side streets off Porter Road.

The holiday season does create an opportunity for thieves eager to take something valuable.

“Sometimes we have an uptick at the shopping centers,” Sheehan said. “People leave packages in their car and it’s visible, and people will take advantage of those situations.”

You can minimize your risk of becoming a victim to smash-and-grab thefts by keeping any valuable items out of sight.