RICHMOND, Va. -- With Richmond’s murder rate – so far this year - being the lowest it has been in generations, the police and the public can really focus on the most common crimes in the city: vehicle break-ins and thefts from vehicles. More and more, thieves are doing what’s called the "smash and grab."
Thieves often don’t even bother to check to see if a door is locked or not, according to Richmond Police Lt. E. Capriglione. They just look into car windows and if they see anything – even if it’s just change or a bag of chips – they just smash the window and grab.
It’s always been a common problem at night, but more thieves are striking in broad daylight, even while people are watching, to grab phones, laptops, purses, backpacks and other valuable items that some left in their vehicles just for a few minutes, or while they’re playing or exercising in the park, Capriglione said.
