Summer crime: How criminals are getting your identity

Crime in the summer usually involves more vandalism and theft than other times of the year.

This past week there were 20 cases of vandalism and theft in the Bonneville County area.

Criminals see a phone or electronic device in your car, they’ll break in to get that item, but because there is so much personal information on those devices, they’re also getting away with you identity.

“Password protection is not the absolute wonder thing, there’s way to get past it,” said Sgt Jeff Edwards with Bonneville County Sheriff’s office.

Criminals can break into cars or reach through windows left open to steal your information.

“Generally one or two three juveniles once they find something in one car they just keep looking until they find another car,” said Edwards.

Edwards also says social media may be a good way to share information , but sharing where you are all the time literally opens the door for criminals.

“It just advertises to people that you’re not at home. which is not good. So if you’re going to post those type of things post it when you get home that you had a great vacation not me and my wife at the beach right now with an empty house back at home,” said Edwards.

Burglaries in homes and vandalism to businesses also go up this time of year.

“Might be some area, maybe some of the older neighborhoods where we see a little more vandalism,” said Joelynn Hansen with the Idaho Falls Police department.

Typically these type of crimes pop up in the summer time when more people are outside and careless about their security.

“It’s kind of strange we have the repeated error in society. If fish were dying we would check the water and find out why. There reality is we have the same crimes occur over and over,” said Edwards.