Sandy Springs police are cautioning residents about leaving firearms in their vehicles. Auto break-ins in the city have dropped nearly 64% since the end of 2019 but police say there is a recent uptick.
Last year there were 714 thefts from vehicles compared to 258 so far in 2020, according to the Sandy Springs Police Department.
This year, 32 firearms have been stolen from vehicles, said Sgt. Sal Ortega, the police public information officer. A total of 55 firearms were stolen in 2019.
Ortega said the drop in entering auto incidents is likely due to less people on the road during the pandemic. But now police officers are responding to more calls regarding thefts from cars parked in commercial parking lots.
New apartment buildings with parking decks and the parking garage in The Prado near Lifetime Fitness have been hot spots, he added.
