News Item - News - Surrey Police

LOCK YOUR CAR!

Submitted: 08/01/2007 14:19:56

POLICE in Elmbridge are again this week warning owners of motor vehicles to take simple measures – such as locking their car - to stop them becoming victims of crime. Police have been checking security of vehicles on driveways and have found a frightening number insecure.

Paul Yearwood, the Neighbourhood Inspector for Elmbridge, said “The neighbourhood team have been checking cars on driveways in areas where thefts have been occurring found disturbingly that nearly 10 per cent are unlocked. We have been taking pro-active steps and have recently checked around 300 cars – we wouldn’t have to be using police resources in this way if people would only secure their vehicles.

“Owners are being spoken to and are not always receptive to advice. The area is safe but complacency is leading to an increase in thefts. Last week we had a theft reported to us where the owner left their car unlocked with a laptop on the passenger seat and a mobile phone and wallet also on display in the car. Such stupidity is quite frustrating.”

In the two-week period covering Christmas and New Year, a time of lower than average crime levels, there were 14 reported thefts from motor vehicles as a direct result of vehicles being left insecure in Elmbridge Borough alone. In the North Surrey Division of Surrey Police there were 174 such offences in 2006.

Insp Yearwood went on to say: “The increase in theft from vehicles that we have seen in the Borough is more than accounted for by thefts from unlocked cars and theft of satellite navigation systems. The message from the police is clear. Please lock your cars when unattended, even at home on the drive. Always remove valuables from display.

“Also, do not leave satellite navigation systems on display, and do not just remove the system and leave the cradle on display. Thieves will assume it is in the glove box and break in anyway. Remove the cradle and the ring that the sucker leaves on the windscreen. These simple measures could reduce car crime in the Borough substantially.”

Surrey Police offers the following tips to avoid falling prey to car thieves:

• Don’t leave satellite navigation systems, handbags, wallets and mobile phones in the car. Not even in the boot or glove box. Thieves sometime wait in car parks and watch valuables being hidden out of site and then break in. It is possible that thieves can locate laptops and mobile phones in car boots using Bluetooth technology.

• Make sure the doors of your vehicle are locked and the windows and sunroof are shut, no matter how hot the weather, or even if you are only going to be gone for a couple of minutes.

• Try and park your vehicle in a location where it is in clear view of other people, not obscured from sight by trees or shrubs, therefore making it more vulnerable. At home, consider movement sensor lighting on your driveway.

• Make sure you do not leave a coat or jacket behind in the car. A thief may think that it contains valuables or that it is hiding a laptop or handbag and break into your car to find out.

• Always remove your in-car radio/CD player if you can.

• Should anything untoward happen, descriptions and car registrations should be noted and given to the police at the time of suspicious incidents.

Anyone with information about crime are asked to contact the Crimedesk on 0845 125 222 for all non-emergency policing matters.