Overnight on Feb. 6, thieves attempted to break into 26 vehicles and stole items from 14 of those vehicles in Leesburg, according to the Leesburg Police Department.

Between March 1 and March 4, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office responded to 12 reports of thefts from the vehicles in the Eastern Loudoun Station’s coverage area, which includes northeastern Loudoun on both sides of Route 7.

While violent crime remains relatively low in Loudoun, police say the thefts are a persistent “crime of opportunity” throughout the county, especially when vehicle owners leave their cars unlocked and their possessions in plain sight.

Leesburg Police Chief Thea Pirnat said in an email that thefts occur in driveways and on streets outside homes, outside businesses and in parks and shopping centers. While some break-ins involve smash-and-grabs or other types of forced entry, Pirnat said, the “vast majority” involve unlocked vehicles. In the Feb. 6 spree, all of the vehicles stolen from were unlocked, according to the LPD.

“When an officer goes to investigate, that is a question they ask the victim. Many times, the victim believes the vehicle was locked or can’t remember,” Pirnat said. “Often, we receive calls for multiple vehicles entered into in the same area. The perpetrators go from vehicle to vehicle checking to see if the doors are left unsecured.”

The thefts, which frequently happen overnight, are part of a national problem. In 2019, thefts from vehicles accounted for 27% of all larceny/thefts in the U.S., according to the FBI, second only to the “all-others” category. Shoplifting came in third at 22%, followed by thefts from buildings at 10%.

The number of thefts from vehicles responded to by the LCSO and LPD rose last year compared to 2022, according to statistics from the respective agencies.

LCSO lead spokesman Thomas A. Julia said 542 thefts — many from unlocked vehicles — were reported in 2023, compared to 455 thefts in 2022. Between 2019 and 2023, there were 424 thefts reported annually to the Sheriff’s Office, which doesn’t cover Leesburg.

The LPD received 143 theft reports last year, according to lead spokesman Officer Michael Drogin. That’s up from 118 in 2022. An average of 105 thefts were reported annually to the LPD from 2019 through 2023.

Police urge drivers to lock their vehicles, remove valuables or not keep them in plain sight. Drogin noted thieves are reluctant to commit forced-entry thefts because they can attract attention.

“They’re going to try and target those vehicles that are unlocked, the ones that aren’t going to make noise, no alarms going off, no glass breaking,” he said. “When there are crimes when force is used, whether breaking glass or something else, a lot of times it’s because they see something of value—a laptop, a purse, a power tool, things like that.”

Drogin said some of those arrested for the break-ins have told police they were stealing items they could trade for drugs. However, he emphasized people “from all walks of life” have been arrested for break-ins.

For the last several years, local police have been doing public outreach to reduce thefts. Besides locking vehicles and not leaving valuables in them, they urge drivers to try to park in well-lit areas. In 2017, the LCSO launched #9PMRoutine, a social media campaign to remind people to lock doors to their homes, garages and vehicles at 9 p.m. and to not leave guns or other valuables in vehicles overnight.

“All to often, residents become victims to these types of crimes after simply forgetting to lock their doors,” Loudoun Sheriff Mike Chapman said in a video for the campaign. “Help us stop these crimes of opportunity by starting the 9 p.m. routine.”

The LPD runs similar campaigns encouraging drivers to lock their doors. Drogin said the department also uses crime analysis to increase patrols where thefts frequently occur and “continually evaluates” new technologies to decrease thefts.

by the numbers Thefts from vehicles reported to the Leesburg Police Department and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office increased last year compared to 2022. Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office 2019: 329 thefts (nine involving guns) 2020: 343 thefts (11 involving guns) 2021: 454 thefts (24 involving guns) 2022: 455 thefts (29 involving guns) 2023: 542 thefts (16 involving guns) Leesburg Police Department 2019: 97 thefts (zero involving guns) 2020: 92 thefts (two involving guns) 2021: 75 thefts (one involving a gun) 2022: 118 thefts (six involving guns) 2023: 143 thefts (two involving guns) Sources: Leesburg Police Department, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office