Vehicle Break-Ins On the Rise in Columbia County

The State Police barracks out of Kinderhook, in Columbia County, are advising residents in the area to make sure to lock their cars, following multiple larcenies that occurred in recent weeks.

State Police are investigating two larcenies from vehicles that happened in the Niverville and Valatie areas of Kinderhook. The vehicle break-ins occurred on October 13 and October 16. One of the crimes was captured on a surveillance camera.

The surveillance photo makes it difficult to make a positive identification at this time. State Police are reminding residents to make sure their vehicles are locked. Do not leave valuables in plain sight like cash, keys, bank cards, electronic devices, or personal identification in your vehicle, even it is only for a short time.

It doesn't matter the area you live in, whether good or bad, if you leave valuables in plain sight in your vehicle, people will want to take it. I've had my car broken into once, and it's more annoying than anything. I don't leave that sort of stuff in my car, so in my case, I just had to deal with having everything in my car ransacked and thrown everywhere.

Always be sure to lock the doors on your vehicle, even if you're just running inside for a few minutes. Leaving the vehicle unlocked, makes it very easy to become a victim.

If anyone has information regarding these two crimes that occurred in the Kinderhook area, please contact the New York State Police at (845) 677-7300. Please refer to case numbers 9872136 and 9876960.