Prevention From Vehicles Theft

Don't be a victim of an auto break-in! If there is at least 1 crime that you could really help the Police Department prevent, it is the ever popular auto break in. Vehicle theft occurs at all hours of the day and night. Most of these entries are crimes of opportunity, and many could have been prevented had simple precautions been taken.

Auto break in prevention, like all crime prevention, involves limiting the criminals ability and/or opportunity to commit the crime. With very little time and effort, you can make a huge difference in your vulnerability to an auto break in. It generally takes a mere few seconds to secure your valuables but it will take only a few seconds more for a thief to break in and steal valuables from your vehicle.

Prevention Tips

• Lock your car - Every vehicle has locks, so you should use them! Every year, most of the entries to autos in Shorewood involve unlocked vehicles. It is not uncommon for a thief to stroll through a neighborhood and check vehicle doors to see if they are locked. Very seldom will a thief force an entry to a vehicle. If your vehicle is locked, the thief will generally move on.
• Don't leave valuables in your car - That sounds like common sense but many people do leave items of value in plain view every day. If you leave valuables in plain sight in your vehicle, your vehicle is automatically a target regardless if it is locked or not. If you must leave valuable items in your car while out and about, place these items out of sight. Use a trunk if you have one as they are difficult to enter and a thief can't see what is inside.
  
  Keep in mind that many trunks can be opened from the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Do not leave a spare key in your vehicle under any circumstance or you may be missing a vehicle along with the rest of your valuables.
• Leave no trace - Don't even leave any indicator that there may be something of value in the vehicle such as docking stations, connector cables, or GPS unit holders. Just leaving an empty holder in your car can end up costing you hundreds of dollars to replace a broken window because the thief saw this and decided to do some fishing in your car. Very few forced entry to autos are random. The thief sees something in plain sight that is valuable or hints of possible hidden valuables.
• Park in a well lit area - Well lit parking lots and driveways are a good deterrent. It is inexpensive to install a motion activated floodlight in a driveway and this will also protect your home. Darkness is a criminal's best friend.

Items Commonly Stolen From Vehicles

• Cash, coins, checkbooks, and credit / debit cards
• Wallets and purses, even when hidden under a seat or in a glove compartment
• Cell phones and chargers
• Laptop computers, iPods, MP3 players, and docking stations
• Portable GPS navigation systems
• Stereo / CD players, faceplates, and amps
• Jewelry, keys, mail, tools
• Backpacks, gym bags, briefcases, day-planners
• Anything of obvious value

If you keep any of the above items in your vehicle, you may be next. Don't make your vehicle a big gift-box for a thief. Take precautions and don't become a victim!