If You're Going Hiking It's Best to Leave Your Valuables at Home

According to a recent post from the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, they are getting reports of thieves stealing items left in cars. They recommend bringing those valuables inside whenever possible.

The MCSO recently posted on Nextdoor, " We are getting reports at the Mesa County Sheriff's Office of people taking items left in cars overnight from several neighborhoods. We know you work hard for your stuff and we want to help you keep it."

While deputies investigate some of the recent thefts, the MCSO offers the following suggestions to prevent future crimes:

Lock your car, even when it's on your property
Don't leave items in your car - bring them in the house
Park in well-lit areas
If your visiting one of Western Colorado's trails, don't leave valuables in your car. If items are not necessary for your hike, leave them at home. According to the MCSO, there has been a recent increase in items stolen out of cars at trailheads.

I checked my car, and the only contents in it are a comb and about a dozen coupons that expired over a year ago. There's nothing to see here, thieves, so just move along.

Do you recall when, about five years ago, a couple visiting from Europe had everything they owned stolen from their car at the Lunch Loop trailhead in Grand Junction? Those items included money, passports, ID's, all of their clothes, and just about anything else you can imagine. Finding oneself in that predicament would be horrifying.

Items being stolen from cars parked at trailheads is an old story in Western Colorado. When hiking, it's likely you can't even see the trailhead. Even if you could, by the time you make it back to your car to stop the break-in, the thieves are long gone.

Again, the MCSO reports there has been a recent increase involving such crimes. When I hike, I carry my wallet and keys in my backpack. They add no noticeable weight, and they are never in the way. The only thing a thief might get from my car is the aforementioned comb.