Lock it or Lose it
By simply removing valuable items from display and locking your vehicle, you significantly reduce the likelihood of being a victim of crime.
Most thieves break into cars because they see something they want inside. Thieves will break windows and damage locks in a matter of seconds in order to steal your valuables.
By following a few simple tips you can prevent theft:
- Close all windows and lock all doors before leaving your car unattended. Offenders mainly entering through back doors and windows. In many instances, victims leave doors and windows unlocked.
- Never leave your keys in the ignition and don’t have personal address on tags attached to your keys.
- Don’t hide spare keys in your car.
- Lock your car when paying for fuel.
- Never leave valuable items in view; remove GPS, cradle, phones, iPods, laptops, CD's, money, sunglasses, bags, clothes, sporting equipment to name a few.
- Don’t leave registration papers, drivers license or other papers or cards in unattended car. Paperwork found within could advise a thief that the home address of the owner is unattended at the time.
- Don’t place items in your boot, console or under your front seat; you never know who is watching. lf it's valuable, take it with you.
- Remove the suction mark left by your GPS cradle on the windscreen. Thieves will often break into a vehicle looking for a GPS unit hidden in the vehicle.
- Don’t leave loose change within view; thieves will do hundreds of dollars worth of damage to steal small amounts of money.
- Power cables from cigarette lighter sockets are signs of a valuable item probably hidden in the vehicle. Remove these from view.