Linn County law enforcement agencies are promoting awareness of how to protect your car and belongings this month in recognition of National Crime Prevention Month.

For many of us, our vehicle(s) are an extension of our personality, belongings, and home. We may even use our vehicle as a substitute home or work office. We need to protect our vehicles and what we have inside the same way we protect our homes.

It is not enough to wish we do not have to share responsibility for the safety and security of our personal items. We hear comments like these nearly every day from community members:

• Why should I have to lock everything up all the time?

• Why am I the one that has to do everything to protect myself and my possessions all the time?

• Why can't I leave my belongings in my car and expect them to be there when I return?

There are no easy answers to these questions. Crime prevention strategies are proactive activities that do not guarantee you will not be a victim of a crime although they greatly reduce your chances of being a victim.

Vehicle break-ins are a crime of opportunity and when the opportunity is removed, the number of reported break-ins goes down. Please be sure that you remove all unnecessary items from your vehicles and reduce the temptation for a thief.

For additional information on this or other crime prevention topics, contact your local law enforcement community service staff or Linn County Sheriff's Office Community Service Specialists Cathy at 258-6940 or Jo Ann at 259-6126 for assistance.

Jo Ann McQueary and Cathy Morris are community service specialists with the Linn County Sheriff's Office.