By Linda Trischitta
Sun Sentinel
BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — Thieves broke windows of vehicles belonging to deputies and firefighters and stole what was inside, including guns, over the weekend at three fire stations in Broward County, officials said Monday.
Cars at a fourth station were broken into in November.
In Fort Lauderdale on Sunday between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., five cars were targeted at Fire Station 3, at 2801 SW Fourth Ave. and eight cars were vandalized at Station 47, at 1000 SW 27th Ave. Fort Lauderale Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Gregory May said.
“They broke a window and stole everything inside, personal belongings,” May said. He declined to say whether the break-ins happened while firefighters were away from the stations, responding to emergencies, or further describe what was stolen.
The agency is reviewing surveillance videos.
A Broward Sheriff Fire Station was also the scene of car burglaries during the weekend. Seventeen vehicles were broken into at Station 32, at 3400 SW Fourth Ave. spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright said.
The thefts happened inside the gated fire station late Saturday night or early Sunday morning and the cars, some marked, some unmarked and some for personal use, belonged to deputies and firefighters.
On Nov. 28, burglars broke into four cars at Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Station 27 in Pembroke Park/West Park at 2610 SW 40th Ave. Six weapons were taken from burglarized cars at both BSO stations, Coleman-Wright said.
“It’s not against policy to have a gun in a car,” Coleman-Wright said. “Everything is being investigated.”
The sheriff’s office asks anyone with information to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477, or online at browardcrimestoppers.org. The organization accepts anonymous tips and pays a reward of up to $3,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
Copyright 2017 Sun Sentinel