Saginaw Township Police Launch 2023 “Lock It or Lose It” Campaign

The Saginaw Township Police Department is once again partnering with Frankenmuth Insurance and Saginaw Bay Underwriters for the annual “Lock it or Lose it” campaign.

2023 marks the thirteenth year of the Lock it or Lose it program. Sergeant Chris Fredenburg, with the Saginaw Township Crime Prevention Unit, says the seemingly simple message has helped to drastically reduce property theft from unlocked vehicles.

“Prior to this campaign, it was one of the most blaring and easiest crimes to prevent,” said Fredenburg. “Typically we see this in our residential neighborhoods and our apartment communities, where it’s easy shopping for a thief. Under cover of darkness, they can just go driveway to driveway, car door to car door, and quickly try these doors to see if they’re unsecure.”

Fredenburg says commonly stolen items include prescription drugs, cash, electronics, and even firearms in some cases. Since the Lock it or Lose it campaign began, he says the average number of thefts from unlocked vehicles each year in Saginaw Township has gone from 220 to around 113, with only 71 incidents reported in 2022.