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Sheriff's sergeant reports about 40 vehicle break‑ins; officials say Flock cameras limited when cars not yet reported stolen
Summary
Fairfield County Sergeant Strong told council a recent string of roughly 40 break‑ins hit hotel parking lots; he said investigators are coordinating with Columbus and that Flock camera systems are less useful when stolen vehicles are not yet reported. Council discussed public alerts and prevention messaging.
Fairfield County Sergeant Strong told council that deputies have responded to a renewed wave of vehicle break‑ins, notably at hotels, and that detectives are coordinating with Columbus investigators to identify patterns.
"We got hit by another string of car break ins last week. I think we had a total of around 40 that were hit," Sergeant Strong said, describing the incidents and the investigative response. He explained limits of the Flock camera system when vehicles are not yet reported stolen: the system helps when there is a vehicle description to search, but it is less useful if thieves abandon a car and switch to another vehicle before the theft is reported.
Council members asked about using resident video (Ring and other cameras) and social‑media alerts; staff suggested more proactive public messaging—reminders to lock doors, keep valuables out of sight and use porch lighting—to help deter opportunistic theft. Sheriff and county staff said they would continue collaborative investigations and try to allocate resources to address the trend.
