Because of volunteer chores I do Sunday mornings at my church, I almost always am the first one on campus. The thought goes through my mind, as I push down my pickups door button: It seems strange to be locking the door of my vehicle outside my church, of all places. Nobody in my congregation is going to pilfer it.But I lock the door out of common sense. A single vehicle in a large parking lot could be easy work with no one in sight.Tribune writer Mike Sakals article today, Churchgoers battle car break-in spree, told of the proliferation of thefts from vehicles in the parking lots outside of Scottsdale houses of worship. The thefts and break-ins have gone up three times since earlier in the year. Since May 14, there were 31 such break-ins reported compared to 11 from Jan. 1 to May 13.Thieves had not been discriminating as to what faiths to victimize. Hit have been campus parking lots of Catholics, Jehovahs Witnesses, Lutheran, Mormon and non-denominational faiths. Loss is almost $30,000, including damage to vehicles to get inside. Actual property taken was estimated at almost $8,000. They typically go through the passenger-side windows to get in and do it during worship prime times: 10 a.m. to noon. Thieves probably take advantage of a number of things. First, there is a casualness about parking outside a place of worship because its regarded as a safe haven, that all who enter the campus will have an honest heart and nothing would happen there. Sunday mornings are scramble time for families. Just getting the family up, fed, cleaned up, dressed and into the car and to church on time is an accomplishment. Typically, they are headed elsewhere after church and leave things behind in the car, sometimes purses, bags and valuable electronics. And its not cool to drag those trappings into church with them to guarantee their security. Moreover, some will not bother to lock doors because they are just at church. Many families split up and come in several cars because of their schedules, and some drivers dont have a vigilant mom to make sure all the doors are locked. Thieves have to figure that if church starts at 10 a.m., the last pack of late-comers will be in the church door by 10:15 a.m., and the parking lot will be dead of any activity for 45 minutes or so. Thats ample time to try car doors to find those unlocked, to look for cars with all the goodies on display in front and back seats, and to quickly break windows to make their hauls. Rows of cars offer good hiding from view. Larger churches have acres of cars, with those parked well away from buildings the easiest targets because of sound and sight limits.Try to find a volunteer wholl give up attending worship services to monitor a parking lot on a hot morning on a reasonably remote chance thieves will be out to get that churchs cars. Obviously, common sense is the best guide. Clear the interior of your vehicle of anything that would-be thieves would find alluring. Put things into the trunk, take them with you or leave them home. Make the congregation aware of parking lot break-ins in the greater community and be vigilant for strangers showing up and, perhaps, hanging out until the coast is clear. Encourage teens who drive to church to lock up their cars and get all their electronic toys out of view. Parking lot lighting should be a priority, as well, to minimize night car break-ins when there are many meetings, choir practices and other activities going on. Trust is a great thing, but even folks on a church campus must be security-minded. There is a contemporary him that goes: "His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me." Too bad, such thieves don’t take that to heart.

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