Dear PoPville – Leaving cars unlocked to avoid broken windows?

Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

Dear PoPville,

I have recently moved into DC from the suburbs, and as a welcome to the neighborhood gesture, my car’s rear vent window was smashed this weekend & my belongings rifled through. The responding police officer told me that at least 20 cars in the area (from East Capitol to D St NE & 7th to 12th) had been hit over the weekend, so I figured it’d be neighborly to put a warning out through your site, in case your Capitol Hill readership had not noticed the smashed glass all over the sidewalk.

My question has to do with strategy: I don’t leave anything valuable in my car, so nothing more than perhaps $0.47 was stolen. However, I now I have to pay some $300 to get the window replaced for no good reason. A friend mentioned an acquaintance that has had her car broken into so many times that she just leaves the door unlocked. While I’m not entirely comfortable with that approach, I wonder if your readers have an opinion on leaving the doors unlocked and using perhaps a Club locked to the steering wheel to prevent someone from driving off with it. Is that completely ridiculous, or would it help keep my windows & car safely as is?

Thank you!

Ed. Note: We also spoke about a rise in car break ins last week in Mt. Pleasant. Cleveland Park has also been experiencing a rash of break ins.