MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - According to the Michigan State Police, a vehicle is stolen every 44 seconds in the United States. But what about in Meridian Township, and what can you do to keep your car safe?

In Meridian Township, the number of auto thefts has been slowly decreasing-- in 2015, there were just twenty thefts.

Captain Greg Frenger of the Meridian Township Police Department says, "most of our vehicle thefts do involve the owner leaving the key in the car. And so the criminal will break into the vehicle intending to steal other items and as they are going through the glove box or other locations in the vehicle, they come across the car key and then they take the entire vehicle. So it becomes a crime of opportunity in the course of committing another crime."

But many times our reported thefts involve an individual that the person knows or has willingly given the car key to and allowed them to use the vehicle, and then the individual does not return the vehicle."

In those cases, to keep your car safe, you should: Never keep a copy of your car key inside your automobile. And never loan your car out to someone you don't know well.