Cops to take photos of car interiors in new Brooklyn crime prevention program

April 4, 2013 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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People who leave expensive stuff inside their cars in Carroll Gardens, Red Hook and Cobble Hill may be getting a little letter in the mail one day soon.

The letter will bear a snapshot of their exposed goodies – from iPads to GPS devices — and a warning from 76th Precinct cops that “if we can see it, so can the thief.”

Captain Jeffrey Schiff, the commanding officer of the 76th Precinct unveiled the innovative “Spot It To Secure It” program at the 76th Precinct Community Council meeting on Tuesday.

Crime prevention and Community Affairs officers will be looking in car windows in for property that might attract a thief, especially in areas where crime has taken place in the past, Captain Schiff said. If the owner is not on the scene, the officers will snap a photo and send it out with a form letter from the Precinct.

The program is not meant to be punitive, but preventative.

Cops from the Precinct will also be rattling doorknobs at the entrances to brownstones and apartment buildings to see if they’re unlocked, especially in areas where bicycles and other items have previously been stolen. If the door is open, the building’s landlord will get a letter in the mail encouraging him to lock up.

The program goes into effect next week.