Thefts from parked cars

Thefts from parked cars are on the increase so take care of your property and follow the simple instructions.

Items such as sat-navs, phones, money, laptops, clothing and tools can be extremely attractive to an offender and are the everyday items that often get left on show in vehicles. 

The following advice will help prevent your vehicle and personal items from being targeted by criminals. Some changes can be made free of charge and others will vary in cost depending on your vehicle and additional requirements. 

Lock it! 
This may sound obvious, but you should always lock it. Vehicle crime is more than often committed when the vehicle is left insecure. So, get into the habit of locking your vehicle even if you’re only going to be away from it for a moment.

Fuelling up or popping back into your house to get something are perfect examples of how easy it is to turn your back for a moment and forget your vehicle is unsecured.

You should also: Close windows and the sunroof to prevent ‘fishing’.Secure your number plates with tamper-resistant screws.Secure anything that’s on the outside of your vehicle.Take it with you.Hide electrical items and leave no clues.Park in well-lit and busier areas.Take your documents with you.

Choose your car park wisely.
You may want to consider additional security products depending on your vehicle – there are various solutions available to mark different parts on your vehicle, devices to assist in protecting catalytic convertors and tamper proof screws for number plates. 

If you are looking to purchase additional physical security for your vehicle we would recommend that you try to purchase devices that  are Thatcham quality assured or Sold Secure tested (www.thatcham.org) and/or www.soldsecure.com)
 

It’s always worth contacting the manufacturer of your vehicle if you are looking for additional specific security devices for in built features such as sat-nav systems.