CIBOLO, Texas – A spike in vehicle burglaries is concerning for the Cibolo Police Department, as the city is one of the area's fastest-growing communities and is also considered one of the state's safest.
“We’ve had a few at the end of July and then we had a different group in the beginning of August,” said Officer Matt Schima, the department’s spokesman.
Schima said in some of those cases, a couple of handguns and personal information were stolen. He said although there’s been only a handful of thefts, what's disturbing is that so far there’s been no forced entry since the vehicle doors were left unlocked.
Schima said to avoid becoming the next victim, the department urges the public to set their phone alarms for 9 p.m.
“That’s your reminder to make sure your vehicle doors are locked, your garage is closed, the lights are on outside and that everything is secure every single night,” Schima said. “We get absentminded. We forget.”
He said valuables should not be left in the vehicle if your vehicle is parked in the driveway or on the curb.
Schima said Cibolo is not the small mostly rural town it once was. He said its population, now at 30,000, has grown by nearly 300%.
He said many longtime residents may not realize how much times have changed.
“We just want to make sure that people are aware of the growth and that there is potential for these guys to come in and do these things and steal out of these vehicles," Schima said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Cibolo police at 210-659-1999.