Massachusetts police take heat for locking unlocked cars

There's nothing worse than a bored law enforcement officer, as a few Beverly, Massachusetts residents learned firsthand when the local police went around checking vehicles for unlocked doors and open windows. Owners received warnings for failing to protect their property and officers proceeded to lock every door they could, including vehicles with their keys still inside.

Petty thieves had been swiping iPods, GPS devices and prescription drugs from unlocked vehicles, and the police felt that a few hard lessons would change residents' perceptions on securing their belongings.

Now, we understand that being careless about leaving windows down and doors unlocked makes your car easy prey when thieves start prowling. That said, we have trouble believing that police officers' time couldn't have been better spent, say, searching for offenders instead of trying door handles and punishing otherwise innocent vehicle owners all day. But that's just us.