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Don't be a target: IMPD warns shoppers of car break-ins during holiday shopping season

As thousands of shoppers hit the stores in Indianapolis for the holiday season so do thieves.
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INDIANAPOLIS— As thousands of shoppers hit the stores in Indianapolis, so do thieves. Police say they may be targeting your car.

Leaving important items in plain sight like your purse, packages and papers can lead to more than just items being stolen.

Police say for all of November there were 402 reported break-ins — a decrease from the 496 for November of 2023.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says while the numbers this year are down the danger is still real.

We looked inside of cars here at WRTV to see what we could find.

After putting people on the spot for this story a point was proven: leaving things out can give criminals a lot of information.

We looked through the window of one vehicle and were able to determine the driver’s potential apartment and an area where they recently visited.

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Is your car a target for thieves?

“All the way through Christmas and into the New Year we tend to see an uptick of the break-ins into vehicles," said Tommy Thompson with IMPD. “We want to remind people to ensure that they remove any personal items that may have personal information on it, such as receipts, mail and anything of that nature.”

Thompson says don’t leave valuables in your car and make sure it’s decluttered.

"Make sure you park in well-lit areas and if possible have another person with you when you go to your car," said Thompson.

IMPD says to always take your valuables out of your car.

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