On January 1st at around 2:30 a.m., police observed a Pontiac Grand Prix driving south on West Boulevard without its license plate illuminated. Police initiated a traffic stop in order to address the violation. The vehicle did not stop and, instead, turned west on Quincy Street before accelerating. After a short pursuit, the vehicle came to a stop in the alleyway behind 1123 Kansas City Street. The driver was seen running from the vehicle. Police searched the area, but the suspect was not located. Police made contact with the owner of the vehicle. The owner informed police they had left it running to warm up before they noticed it missing. The owner advised they were not interested in pursuing charges in the incident..
*** Given the circumstances that led to this pursuit, it bears repeating: Do not leave a vehicle unattended and/or running unless it is secured. This is the time of year when we see an uptick in stolen vehicles, primarily due to these factors. Securing your vehicle is a good habit to get into. We hope the community can make securing their vehicle a priority as they consider their New Year’s resolutions for 2018. ***
