By Auto burglaries on the rise this holiday season, police say

Town Crier Staff Report

The Santa Clara County Regional Auto Theft Task Force plans to crackdown on auto thieves this holiday season, a time typically marked with increased auto thefts, police said.

Part of the plan includes placing “bait” cars at various local shopping mall parking lots over the next several weeks to attract potential thieves. Police said the bait cars are equipped with numerous electronic systems designed to trap thieves on site, including a system that shuts off the engine if someone other than a task force official tries to start the car.

The cars also have automatic door locks to trap thieves inside and global positioning units to track a vehicle’s location.

Police provided the following precautions: Never leave a car unattended with the motor running; always lock your car; never leave personal belongings, especially wrapped presents, in plain view inside the car.