SHAWANO, WI – The Shawano Police Department is receiving multiple reports of vehicle being gone through at night.
“If you are bored, this is not the thing to do.”
The reports started over the weekend and have continued for most of the week.
“It is that time of year where the weather starts getting warm and kids are out, and this tends to happen this time of year,” Police Chief Dan Mauel said. “When the weather gets warm, the kids get outside and there are reports coming in.
Mauel says like past years, the vehicles that are being sifted through are left unlocked.
“If it is unlocked they are going to go through it and if the keys are in there, they are going to take it,” Mauel says.”Please lock your cars, take your valuables out and don’t leave your keys in the car, even if it is locked.”
It is unknown if the cases are connected but certain streets in the city have been hit.
Since Monday, the Police Department has received reports from residents on East Lieg, East Mauer, Acorn Street, South Franklin and East Elizabeth.
“On several, we have some good leads as far as suspects and we are following up on that. Most of these cases tend to be juvelines and what they do is if they find a locked vehicle, they just keep moving,” Chief Mauel said. “This is just one of those things where it is probably done by the same couple of kids and hopefully we will have them found.”
He says there are severe consequences for doing this.
“We do have an ordinance that was put in place and allows us to cite for trespassing of a vehicle if they don’t take anything. If they take something, it is theft. It is attempted tresspass of a vehicle and if you get inside it is tresspassing and those are municipal citations that carry a couple hundred dollar fine.”
He says anyone who feels that they have been a victim of trespassing or theft should contact the Police Department.
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