Car break-ins, thefts down in Columbus this year despite surge during summer, police say

The Columbus Police Department saw a rise in people breaking into cars this summer, but there have been fewer incidents this year compared to last, according to data provided by CPD.

There have been 1,091 incidents of people breaking into cars through September in Columbus, according to data provided by CPD. The city has had five months this year in which at least 100 incidents were reported, peaking at 186 in June. There have been about 121 incidents per month.

The city has also had 461 car thefts through the first nine months of 2024, about 51 thefts per month, according to CPD data.

It’s not just car break-ins and thefts that are down. Fewer major crimes have been reported across the board this year, CPD says.

How Columbus car break-ins compare to 2023

CPD reported 1,522 car break-ins in the first nine months of 2023 for an average of just over 169 cases per month, according to provided data.

The department saw 548 car thefts in the first nine months of 2023.

Cpl. Seth Cole said despite the drop, the department has been “hammered” with these types of crimes.

Cole said the people committing these crimes are looking for spare keys and guns inside the cars.

Cole suggested those who keep guns in their cars should take them out at night.

Where car break-ins, thefts are most common

These crimes are happening all over Columbus, but police are seeing a lot in east and north Columbus, Cole said.

Suspects often range in age from their early teens to early 20s, Cole said.

“They ride around in stolen vehicles all night going to break into vehicles. That’s their MO,” Cole said.

When asked whether the rise in cases in the summer could be attributed to summer break for school, Cole said, “I would definitely say there’s some relation to school being out.”

How to avoid becoming a victim

Cole said residents should take wallets, purses and credit cards out of their vehicles to avoid becoming victims. He also urged people not to put gun-related stickers on their cars because that could tell others that a gun might be in the vehicle.