A spate of car break-ins in which electronic items such as laptop computers, MP3 players, and GPS devices were stolen in Chinatown is prompting area Town Watch leaders to urge visitors and residents to be cautious. From March 29 to April 3, there were five such car burglaries in the area, police said. Joe Eastman, coordinator of Chinatown Town Watch and the Sixth Police District Advisory Committee, noted that the break-ins occurred in daylight hours and at night. Eastman said most of the burglaries involved vehicles of visitors. "My advice is to lock up everything," Eastman said. "It's usually things that are visible that are stolen from cars." Police said thieves can notice a ring left by suction brackets used to hold GPS devices to windshields or dashboards and use such observations to target cars. They recommended that motorists wipe away any such tell-tale rings before leaving their vehicles. Lt. Frank Milillo, of the Sixth Police District said police have noticed a spike in car burglaries in the area over the last three weeks. He said two arrests of repeat offenders have been made, but urged drivers to store any bags and valuables in their trunks. Milillo said that additional police have been deployed to the area and that officers have been informing visitors about protecting valuables left in their cars Steven Zhu, executive vice president of the Chinese Restaurant Association of Philadelphia and a coordinator of Chinatown Town Watch, said that despite the car break-ins, the area remains safe. "Chinatown is very safe, but there are still some petty crimes," Zhu said. "You need to pay attention and take care to watch your car."
I live in Chinatown and have noticed people walking through parking lots trying car doors.— Philatonian- Good eye Philatonian. Be sure to let your neighbors know, and you can always report this type of suspicious activity to the police.— Your Name Here
- My car window has been broken into 3 times in 3 years in one of the Chinatown lots. Look out for a bald homeless person who always roams around this area named Maurice who has been witnessed and arrested before for doing this in the past.— awu210
- Awu210: Is this Maurice guy missing a number of front teeth? If so, he used to stand on the corner of 13th and Vine doing "promotions" for a massage parlor right near there. I still see him walking around the area.— PotteryPete
- Can't remember if he's missing any teeth. He's about 5 feet 8 or 9inches. Apparently the managers of 3 of the parking lots around chinatown (all 3 that I have switched parking my car at) know him and have seen him in the act.— awu210
Comment removed.- Why should Chinatown be any different than the rest of the City. Leaving your GPS in your car is just an invitation to get it stolen, no matter where you are.— bluehaha
Good reason to stick to public transport. I hate driving in Chinatown as is. But yeah, people will steal just about anything, even loose change that fell out of your pocket. @Rosie: It happens. Most people in my area know "Laddie" but he's harmless. Funny though, now that you mention it, I have no idea how I came to know what Laddie goes by (it doesn't sound like a real name but who knows). You'd think people would think to call in but that's evidently expecting too much.— Ilmare
Kia Gregory is a staff writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She's a proud native of the city and an alumna of Temple University. Contact Kia by e-mail by clicking here, or by phone at 215-854-2601.
Vernon Clark, a staff writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, has reported extensively neighborhood issues in North and Northwest Philadelphia. Vernon has also been an editor for the Inquirer and has worked as an editor and writer at the Boston Globe and Akron Beacon Journal. Contact Vernon by e-mail by clicking here, or by phone at 215-854-5717.
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