CINCINNATI — Clifton resident Asher Hirsch has gotten pretty used to this scene: a smashed-out window after leaving his car parked overnight. It’s happened to him three times in the last six weeks.
“I mean at this point, I just think it’s kind of funny,” Hirsch said.
The most recent cars to have windows smashed are both rentals. Both occurred in the same spot on the 1700 block of Sycamore Street in Mount Auburn.
Hirsch is driving a rental because his personal vehicle, a 2020 Hyundai Sonata had its windows smashed. Thieves tried to steal the car but only ended up damaging the ignition. The parts needed to replace that vehicle are on backorder because of an explosion of similar behavior from thieves nationwide.
“I don’t think it’s personal,” Hirsch said.
He’s probably right. Thefts from autos are at a six-year high, according to data from CincyInsights.
It happened most last year in OTR, Westwood, Downtown, West Price Hill and East Price Hill.
“The first time we got broken into they’re not even taking the $50 gift card, Starbucks gift card, you know, expensive basketball jerseys in the back, just totally left,” Hirsch said.
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge told council members in November 2023 that behavior is not uncommon.
“They are bypassing other types of valuables, money, purses, whatever, because they are looking for a firearm,” Theetge said.
According to the data she presented to council in November 2023, stolen firearms from cars increased by 30% from the year prior. Roughly 60% of the city’s stolen guns come from vehicle.
Council member Scotty Johnson at the time called those statistics “frightening” and implored residents to remove guns from their vehicles. Theetge said gun safes and locks are being given away at district offices.
“Our auto thieves … have a better handle than we do on how many people leave their stuff unlocked and available,” Cincinnati Police senior crime analyst Dr. Jillian Shafer Desmond told council.
For Hirsch, whose vehicle was locked, the situation feels helpless.
“I’m thinking I just have to get some paper [and] tape in the window and say ‘I have no guns. There’s a wheel lock on the car. Like, please don’t break my window again,'” he said. “I don’t know really what else to do.”
