School may be out for the summer, but police were handing grades out this afternoon on the northwest side.
They wanted to see if your car passed the test of whether or not it's an easy target for crooks.
Instead of tickets, the officers were leaving behind report cards, grading owners on how enticing their vehicles are to a would-be-thief.
"With this one, she has a bag on the floor board," HPD Officer J.J. Mounsey pointed to a car he's giving an "F" score. "No telling what's in it, but they'll break the window to find out what's there just to find out there's nothing worth anything."
Cars that were left unlocked or had valuables such laptops, radar detectors, GPS systems, and purses in plain site received failing grades.
"I put a club on my steering wheel, and put everything out of sight so they aren't tempted to break in," said Bill Alcorn, a Spring Branch resident.
Even those who proclaim to be extra careful like Alcorn were surprised to see their report card.
"I have packages in view so I failed," said Alcorn.
Carrie Fischer was also upset with her score.
"I failed," said Fischer. "I never leave anything in my car of value so it was probably a packet in the back I use in case of emergencies such as road flares and things like that."
"The number one crime in the city of Houston is burglary of motor vehicles," said HPD Officer Chris Englehart. "In an average month we'll experience 15 hundred of these BMVs."
Officers say they do work undercover to catch the crooks, but the best way to prevent these crimes is to educate the public.
"I think the officers are doing a great job making the public aware," said Alcorn.
Police say most of the vehicles they graded did fail. Police say taking extra measures could mean saving hundreds of dollars in costly repairs.
They wanted to see if your car passed the test of whether or not it's an easy target for crooks.
Instead of tickets, the officers were leaving behind report cards, grading owners on how enticing their vehicles are to a would-be-thief.
"With this one, she has a bag on the floor board," HPD Officer J.J. Mounsey pointed to a car he's giving an "F" score. "No telling what's in it, but they'll break the window to find out what's there just to find out there's nothing worth anything."
Cars that were left unlocked or had valuables such laptops, radar detectors, GPS systems, and purses in plain site received failing grades.
"I put a club on my steering wheel, and put everything out of sight so they aren't tempted to break in," said Bill Alcorn, a Spring Branch resident.
Even those who proclaim to be extra careful like Alcorn were surprised to see their report card.
"I have packages in view so I failed," said Alcorn.
Carrie Fischer was also upset with her score.
"I failed," said Fischer. "I never leave anything in my car of value so it was probably a packet in the back I use in case of emergencies such as road flares and things like that."
"The number one crime in the city of Houston is burglary of motor vehicles," said HPD Officer Chris Englehart. "In an average month we'll experience 15 hundred of these BMVs."
Officers say they do work undercover to catch the crooks, but the best way to prevent these crimes is to educate the public.
"I think the officers are doing a great job making the public aware," said Alcorn.
Police say most of the vehicles they graded did fail. Police say taking extra measures could mean saving hundreds of dollars in costly repairs.
