One of our readers had their car broken into last night, despite the fact that it was parked in a private, off-street parking lot. Isaac wrote,

Last night my car window was smashed in on the passenger side. Happened at some time between 11pm and 7 am. I live midway up Queen Anne Ave near Aloha and don’t park in the street, I park in a parking-lot/carport with a security light and several other cars. Don’t know what they were after, nothing significant was taken (some loose change and an empty shopping bag), so whatever. I thought maybe they might have been trying to sleep in the car (being so cold the last few nights), but there was no evidence of that.

There have been many car break-ins on the hill these days, and so this report serves as a reminder to not leave any valuables in your car, even if they’re hidden. The best protection against break-ins is to remove anything valuable or tempting to thieves and park, if possible, near a light. Keep an eye out for suspicious behavior in the community, and get to know your neighbors. To find out if there’s a Block Watch program near you contact Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Terrie Johnston at (206) 684-4741 or terrie.johnston@seattle.gov.