My cube is right next to the Property Crimes unit at the 4th Precinct, so whenever suspects are brought in for questioning they're escorted right by my desk. This means that I often overhear the suspects' excuses, denials, hard luck stories and so forth. But the other day, a car theft suspect was brought in and I overheard him singing the following song to himself:
Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But your car is so delightful
And I'm looking for some larcenous fun
So let it run, let it run, let it run!
OK, not really. But it does illustrate the point that I want to make. When the temperature drops, auto theft rises, largely because people leave their cars running unattended. An idling car, with keys in the ignition and no one around is an open invitation for thievery, and it's an invitation that is accepted by thieves all too often.
When people are advised of the dangers of this practice, they often ask a few common questions. Here's a quick Q & A that addresses some common concerns:
Q: Won't I harm my engine in cold weather if I don't warm it up for a few minutes before putting it in gear?
A: While this may have been true for older carbureted cars, it's certainly not true of today's cars with fuel injection. In fact, warming up the car by driving slowly for the first mile is a far more efficient way of warming not just the engine, but the whole drive train, power steering fluid, brakes and other critical systems. Modern vehicles only need about 20 seconds of idling in cold weather before driving in order to heat up the engine oil and give the oil pump a chance to circulate the oil throughout the engine. In the time it takes you to fasten your seat belt, adjust your mirrors, find a good tune on the radio and check your blind spot, your engine is ready to go.
Q: But I always keep the car locked when it's idling. Won't that stop someone from stealing it?
A: Not at all. It only takes a thief a second to break a window and unlock your car door. The fact is that if you leave the key in the ignition the temptation to a potential thief often outweighs the deterrence posed by a locked door.
Q: I only leave it unattended for a few minutes, for example when I stop at the convenience store for a gallon of milk. No one's going to come by and take it in that short period of time, right?
A: Wrong. Many cars are stolen in just this manner. Car thieves know that people often do this and they'll watch convenience store lots and other likely locales just for this opportunity. Even though your car may be unattended for only a few minutes, it only takes a few seconds for someone to drive off in it.
If protecting yourself from auto theft isn't reason enough to avoid this practice, it also wastes gas and increases air pollution. In fact, in an effort to address fuel efficiency and air quality, the City of Minneapolis recently amended Chapter 58 of the Code of Ordinances to prohibit idling of vehicles for three consecutive minutes in any one hour period. Of course, there are exceptions to this, for example traffic jams, emergency situations, etc., but idling your car simply to warm it up is now prohibited by ordinance.
For info on preventing auto theft contact your Minneapolis Police Department Crime Prevention Specialist: North of Dowling contact Shannon McDonough at 612-673-2805; south of Dowling call Mary Etzioni at 612-673-3364.