Rash of Vehicle Thefts Hitting City of Saginaw

Saginaw County Prosecutor John McColgan Jr. and Saginaw Police Chief Robert Ruth are urging citizens to lock their vehicles, as there’s been an uptick of vehicle thefts in the city of Saginaw. Saginaw Police have taken at least 12 stolen vehicle complaints this month alone, a significant rate increase from 2021.

“Whereas the traditional ‘Lock It or Lose It’ campaigns are mostly designed to prevent larcenies from motor vehicles, this is even more serious,” McColgan said. “Vehicles in the city of Saginaw are being stolen at an alarming rate.”

Officers also have taken complaints of valuables being stolen from inside vehicles.

“In some of these cases, the victims left their vehicles running with the keys inside or left their vehicles unlocked with the keys hidden inside,” Ruth said. “We understand wanting to leave your vehicle running in these frigid temperatures, but by doing so, you make yourself a target of those looking to take advantage. Thankfully, none of these vehicles have been stolen by force or violence.”

McColgan and Ruth urged citizens to be vigilant in reporting suspicious activity near their homes or neighboring businesses.

“Some of these vehicles are being stolen by individuals who go ‘joyriding’ before leaving the vehicle in another location,” McColgan said. “This can make it problematic to charge an individual with the theft, thus making deterrence a difficult goal to achieve. We want to hold these thieves accountable for their actions and continue our trend of making Saginaw a safer place.”