Our Opinion: Outwitting lazy criminals: It's not hard

Thieves have been wreaking havoc on car owners over the past week, breaking into vehicles and stealing valuables.

However, as a car owner, you have the upper hand. Here's why: Most criminals aren't deep-thinkers, and they're lazy to boot.

So while there might not be any one thing you can do to keep your car 100 percent safe, there are plenty of things you can do to reduce the chance that your vehicle will be targeted.

In most cases, that's all you need. Because if you put up any barriers for criminals, they're likely to take their business elsewhere where they can do their dirty deeds with less hassle.

The biggest and simplest thing you can do is to lock your doors. This alone will thwart the majority of thieves, who don't want to risk breaking a window or otherwise taking time to gain entry to your car. Even they know that time is risk in their business.

Jefferson City police also offer these other ideas to reduce your risk further:

Make sure you keep valuables out of sight, especially as we approach the holiday shopping season. Thieves are more likely to target vehicles with valuables in plain view.

Never keep weapons in vehicles unless they are properly secured. Even then, use caution in doing so.

Within your neighborhood, report any suspicious activity immediately. Even the most seemingly insignificant detail may be relevant to police investigators. Police said they would rather respond to something which turns out to be nothing suspicious than miss an opportunity to arrest suspects involved in criminal activity.

On a similar note, we remind you of former JCPD Chief Gary Kempker's advice: Don't put stickers on your car advertising your expensive stereos. He derisively referred to these as "steal-me stickers" - stickers that remind thieves to break into the cars in order to get a good payout.

Finally, look out for your neighbors. If you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood, call police at 634-6400. Let's get these low-lifes off the streets and behind bars where they should be.