Police Take To Social Media For Fight Against Auto Thefts
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - Vehicle thefts are up in Aurora. Now the Aurora Police Department is turning to social media to crack down on the recent spike.
"When someone calls in to tell us that their vehicle has been stolen the officer will take the report," said Crystal McCoy with the Aurora Police Department.
Once the report is completed, a tweet from @APDStealAlert, and a post on the Aurora Police Motor Vehicle Theft Alerts Facebook page will provide the public with vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers of stolen vehicles.
"It allows us to communicate immediately, and effectively," McCoy said. "It's active, it's real time, and it goes out to a large audience."
In less than a year, 1136 vehicles around Aurora have been stolen, a 15 percent increase from 2015.
"There's no safe place for a stolen vehicle," McCoy said. "Anywhere that you leave your car or property unsecured, you're putting yourself at risk and potentially making yourself a target."
Police say while they can't be everywhere at once, they're hoping the community can help victims get their vehicles sooner.
"If we as a community can come together and actually truly help them out, I think that would take a lot of workload off their hands, and kind of put it back on us, where we honestly see more than they do," said Donnie McCaskill, a supporter of the social media strategy.
In the age of social media sharing, Aurora police believe the new tools will make a difference.
"It sends a message to the auto thieves -- that not only is the police department is watching you, but the community is watching for you," said McCoy.
At the end of every tweet and Facebook post, APD reminds the public not to approach or follow a stolen vehicle because you never know what's inside. Instead, they ask that you call 911.
Additional Information From The Aurora Police Department
If you are interested in receiving social media auto theft alerts you can follow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/APDStealAlert or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Aurora-Police-Motor-Vehicle-Theft-Alerts-340481272966327/?fref=ts.
Andrea Flores is a reporter for CBS4. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @AndreaFloresTV.
