Now back to the same message we’ve been putting on these pages for the last couple of years. We know you have heard this before, but anyone who read the front page of their Tribune last week, knows that there have been several car burglaries recently. Of course, if you looked at most issues of the paper, you would have seen the same – that is how bad the situation has become in recent years. Believe it or not, we still have to mention this because it’s still happening frequently.It must be stressed that this is not a negative reflection on our Police Department. Rather, this is about the individuals who continue to leave their cars unlocked, and their keys and key fobs inside their unattended vehicles overnight, despite all of the evidence showcasing what a foolish idea this is. At this point, we fear that Livingston has become a destination of sorts for these types of criminals. We have developed a reputation. Pull on the doors of enough vehicles in this town, and a few of them are bound to open.There is a simple way to stop this, of course. Just lock your car’s doors! It is not that difficult. We suspect, in the era of push-to-start ignitions, more people are leaving their fobs in their vehicles overnight. Perhaps some of it is just forgetfulness. Still, it is well worth the effort to break these habits if it may save yourself the trouble of reporting your stolen car.In addition to the loss of property, we have not even mentioned the cost of the police resources that are being used to track down all of these stolen vehicles and items.We, along with the Police Department, the Township Council, and countless others, have been saying this for years. Yet, we must keep saying it, because there continues to be people who refuse to listen.Lock your cars. Take your keys and your fobs inside with you at the end of the night. Don’t become the next front page story in the Tribune. We do not want to see our neighbors victimized, particularly in a situation that is largely avoidable. Just take the simple steps necessary to protect yourself.
