New 'Lock, Hide, Keep' campaign trying to prevent downtown Atlanta car break-ins

ATLANTA - First the SEC Championship, then the Peach Drop, and the College Football National Championship, downtown Atlanta is seeing big crowds. With all of those people heading into the city, Atlanta Police and downtown leaders are launching a new campaign to keep visitors, and their possessions, safe. It's called "Lock, Hide, Keep."

You'll probably start noticing signs on parking lots and across downtown with that message. It's part of an effort to help prevent the largest number of crimes the city is seeing across the board.

Lock your vehicle and firearms, hide your valuables, and keep your belongings with you - that's the message law enforcement and downtown city leaders are stressing.

"This is a safe city and we're working very aggressively to reduce crime and make sure that we're going in the right direction. What we said today is important because the police department can't do everything. It is lock it up, it is keep it with you, it is secure it, it is hide it. If you practice those steps you can help prevent yourself from being a victim of a car break-in," Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. 

The Atlanta Police Department partnered with Central Atlanta Progress in the new effort.

"Our crime numbers are largely down to car break-ins, and car break-ins are very preventable," Central Atlanta Progress President AJ Robinson said.

Schierbaum said while thefts from vehicles has decreased over the last two years, they want to prevent even more of these crimes. Through October, officials reported 1,611 motor vehicle break-ins downtown. The chief said more than 150 people have already been arrested this year for breaking into cars.

"What I'm very concerned about is weapons, guns stolen from vehicles. If a criminal is stealing a weapon from your vehicle, they're not going to do something good with it. In fact, they're going to do something that is likely going to harm again," the chief said.

Schierbaum said 1,152 guns were stolen from vehicles during those crimes. That is why they're stressing the message of "lock, hide, keep" to help keep weapons and all valuables out of criminals' hands.

"So as they say, help us help you make downtown Atlanta a safe and hospitable place," Robinson said.

And while this is aimed at downtown right now, Central Atlanta Progress says there's no reason this shouldn't spread across all of Atlanta to help prevent more vehicle break-ins.