CMPD, QT team up to curb car thefts with 'Show Us Your Keys' initiative

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — “Show us your keys” is the message Charlotte-Mecklenburg hoped to get across to drivers Tuesday morning as they aim to prevent thieves from stealing cars.

[Car thefts rise in Charlotte; police find common thread among cases]

Drivers had the opportunity to walk into five different Charlotte-area Quik Trip stores Tuesday morning until 9:30 a.m., show their keys to a CMPD officer and receive a QT coupon, which is good for a hot drink or soda.

@CMPD officers have already handed out dozens of coupons to @QuikTrip customers who remembered take their keys! We did see a few drivers who kept cars running or left keys in the car unattended. Officers educated them. @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/7K7QkmhXTg
— Gina Esposito (@GinaWSOC9) January 30, 2018

The initiative is the latest effort by the department to curb the rise in auto thefts around the Queen City. CMPD said it has seen a huge spike in stolen vehicles where keys have been left in the ignition.

Police said there have been 282 vehicle thefts in January, 38 percent involved keys being left in the ignition or stored in the vehicle.

Police said most stolen car cases are crimes of opportunity, and they hope drivers will think before they leave their vehicle running.

“I don’t leave mine in the car for that very reason,” driver Chuck Faile said. “I can’t take a chance.”

Below are the participating QT locations: