Thefts at Fitness Centers Spike in Eastern Anne Arundel

As citizens in Anne Arundel County work out, they may indeed leave lighter than when they came into the gym, as thieves have been increasingly ripping off cars and lockers around fitness centers in the last two months, police said.

"We’ve experienced an increase in thefts from gyms," according to a Jan. 9 statement from the Anne Arundel County Police Department's Eastern District. "Cars are being broken into on parking lots, and lockers are being broken into in locker rooms."

Thieves are going for items like purses, briefcases and laptops left out in plain view.

In "a number of incidents," locks were cut from gym lockers, police said.

Other times, lockers weren't secured when wallets, watches and cell phones were taken.

Police said there have been cases in which thieves have stolen people's keys, then used the alert functions on key fob to find the vehicle so they could rummage through it.

The Anne Arundel County Police Department offered the following tips for citizens to keep their belongings protected at the gym:

• Limit what you take.
• Keep your car keys with you.
• Store valuables in the trunk before leaving home. People may be watching in the gym parking lot.
• Put clothing in lockers, and nothing else; secure with a heavy lock.