Police Urge Caution While Warming Up Unattended Vehicles

Prince George’s County, Maryland…The Prince George’s County Police Department is reminding residents to maintain good safety habits as we approach the winter season. The wintry season is the time of year when residents begin to warm up their vehicles during the early morning hours.


Auto theft is mainly a crime of opportunity and this practice unfortunately creates a perfect opportunity for car thieves. During these economic times, leaving a vehicle unattended is dangerous and costly. According to the Maryland Transportation Article 21-1101 (a) any person leaving a vehicle unattended with the keys in the ignition is subject to a $70.00 ticket and one point toward his or her driving record.

In Prince George's County, auto theft rates continue to decline and officers credit the continued progress partially to citizens and residents who are increasingly using anti-theft devices, and turning vehicles off and taking car keys with them. As the winter season approaches, officers will periodically conduct enforcement in areas in which auto theft has been a problem and issue citations to those who are leaving their vehicles unattended while warming up.