Police see increase in vending/coin machine break-ins
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WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - The Wilmington Police Department said they are seeing an increase in vending machine and coin machine break-ins.
Officers said so far this year they have had 18. They said most of the break-ins happen at night and at machines that are hidden away.
While police said the machines might only carry a couple hundred dollars, they said the crime is still concerning.
"It's a problem because it's a crime and when small crimes like this occur other crimes could also occur, a lot of times when individuals break into the machines they are using the money for drugs, they are using the money for other things," said Linda Rawley with the WPD. "We certainly want to make sure a persons property stays safe."
Rawley said some tips to keep your machine from getting broken into include:
- Keep the machine in a well lit area
- Put a cage around the whole machine so it is impossible for someone to pry to door open
- Or just put a cage around the key used to open the door
- Use machines that only accept credit or debit cards, that way there is no money to steal.
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