Two Thefts in Wissahickon Over the Past Couple Weeks

There have been two thefts reported by police in the in Chestnut Hill—one bigger than the other—over the past two weeks.

Here's what happened:

• A credit card was taken from a car parked at Northwestern Avenue and Forbidden Drive June 1 and was used at a variety of locations, according to police.
• Two handbags were taken from cars parked at Valley Green Inn in the Wissahickon and credit cards in both were used on Sunday. One person lost $3,100, according to police, while another lost $1,300. The people who left their handbags there only discovered they were missing when they got home; when they checked on their credit cards, they found they were used at Best Buy and Toys R Us in New Jersey and at other locations as well.

There were also a couple of break-ins during the Wissahickon Wanderers trail series last month.

Executive Director Maura McCarthy told the Wanderers—a local running group—that break-ins generally increase in the park over the summer.

Here are some tips from the Friends:

• When you park your car, lock your doors, carry your keys with you, and do not leave wallets, cell phones, or other valuables in plain sight in your car. The major area of crime in the Wissahickon is in the parking lots.
• If your car is broken into, call 911. Report the location of your car (the number of the parking lot will help). Stay until the police arrive. 
• The Fairmount Park Rangers can be reached at 215-685-2172.
• FOW Trail Ambassadors are often in the park. Their primary role is to provide information to park visitors about the Wissahickon and report any problems they see to Fairmount Park Rangers. If you are unable to call 911 or the Rangers yourself, a Trail Ambassador can help.