Card Road Area Experiences Rash of Thefts from Unlocked Cars

A look at the Macomb County Sheriff’s Crimedar report for Macomb Township reveals almost a dozen incidents of theft from unlocked vehicles in the area of Card Road, over the past two weeks.

, an online mapping system available to the public, is now used by the sheriff’s office to track and map crimes of all kinds across Macomb Township and neighboring communities.

Between May 21 and May 30, almost a dozen addresses along Card Road, from 21 to 24 Mile, in Macomb Township reported theft of some sort, most from unlocked vehicles parked in the home’s driveway.

While it is unknown if the reported thefts are related, Capt. Elizabeth Darga said detectives are not ruling out the possibility.

“People leave their cars open and there are people who are checking for that,” Darga said. “They’ll hit the door handle and, if it’s unlocked, take what they can get.”

A frequently stolen item is the GPS unit.

GPS units were stolen from vehicles in the 48500 block of Stoneacre Drive on May 28 and the 51800 block of Flyer on May 21. Both vehicles had been left unlocked.

“We don’t normally have a lot of vehicles windows popped out,” Darga said. “(The suspects) walk around the street and whatever vehicle (is left unlocked), they hurry up and grab what they can. It’s amazing how many people leave their vehicles unlocked in their driveway.”

Darga said even locked, she would recommend residents not leave anything of value in their unattended vehicles. Even spare change is a target.

In the theft which occurred May 22 in the 49300 block of Touraine Drive, the suspect took a purple iPod Nano as well as about $3 worth of change. Again, the car was left unlocked.

While residents should keep track of the serial numbers for all their electronic items, Darga said many of these items are no longer being pawned in traditional pawnshops, where an ID is required for the transaction.

“It depends on what they’re stealing for,” she said. “If they’re stealing for drugs, they’re not taking items to a reputable pawnshop. They’re taking it to a friend for cash."

Residents who see something suspicious, or spot a possible theft in action, should call 911. Reports of theft or information on possible suspects should be made to sheriff's dispatch at 586-469-5151.

Car larceny is also an ongoing issue in neighboring Chesterfield Township, where police recently released this statement:

“Having items stolen from unlocked vehicles has unfortunately become a common 'crime of opportunity,' not just in Chesterfield, but everywhere," said Chesterfield Det. Sgt. Deron Myers. "We continue to urge our residents and visitors to remove, or at least conceal their valuables, and lock up their vehicles when leaving them unattended."