Car break-ins in Hutto skyrocket over the last year
HUTTO, Texas - Hutto police are asking its residents to not let their guards down as car break-ins skyrocket across the city.
Almost all the cases have something in common.
"A lot of these groups are going down, checking doors, and they're passing over everything other than guns," said Lt. Conor Mitchell with the Hutto Police Department.
Mitchell said Hutto is becoming a target for car burglars looking for firearms.
"We don't believe that they're using the firearms stolen in Hutto to commit criminal acts in Hutto," said Mitchell.
In 2022, Hutto police said it responded to just 36 car burglaries.
That number jumped nearly 145 percent to 93 in 2023.
So far, in 2024, it's had 25.
That's on track to tie or potentially even break last year's record.
In January, police tracked down a car burglary suspect who fled on foot with a drone.
"We have had some success using drone technology as well as canine," said Mitchell.
But if they're in a getaway car, Mitchell said catching them can be a bit more tricky.
"Normally, the vehicle that they use will be stolen from Austin or Killeen or somewhere other than Hutto," said Mitchell.
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Police are asking residents to do their part.
"The biggest thing that the citizens can do is to simply lock their vehicles and please bring the firearms inside with you," said Mitchell.
"I think when people move to Hutto they feel like they're moving to a safe community, which they are, but with that safety sometimes comes complacency."
Police also have a message for criminals.
"Please have some pride in yourself," said Mitchell. "No one likes a thief. We're tired of it, and the kid gloves are coming off, and we're going to adjust our tactics accordingly."
Recently, Hutto police said they responded to a car break-in situation off Limmer Loop.
They said they were able to get a lot of helpful information from residents using an app called TIP411. You can find it on the app store by searching tip411/huttopd. Tips can also be sent to huttocrimetips@huttotx.gov.