Police Offer Tips to Prevent Vehicle Theft

In these times of economic distress, many people are concerned about the threat of rising crime in their communities. Fortunately, there are ways to help protect the loss of valuables, especially from your cars.

From simple steps like keeping your car doors locked to taking valuables inside your house with you, there are plenty of things you can do to prevent crime.

Thefts from vehicles occur at all hours, day and night.

All auto-burglaries generally have one thing in common: something to steal ... something valuable left in the car. Many auto-burglaries are "crimes of opportunity"; they could have been avoided had simple preventative steps been taken.

Auto burglaries can involve smashed windows or other forcible means to gain entry to your locked vehicle. The Glendora Department is encouraging residents to practice the following safety tips, which may prevent you from becoming a victim, or minimize the loss experienced in an auto burglary:

1. While your car is parked at your home, install motion sensor lighting around your home; remove all valuables from vehicles (including trunks). If your vehicle was issued a valet key, locate that key and ensure it isn't left in your vehicle and consider installing surveillance cameras around your home, which could lead to suspect identification.

2. Don't leave valuables in your car. That sounds like "common sense", but drivers/passengers do leave items of value in plain view every day. If you leave valuable items visible in your car, your car is automatically a target.

3. If you must leave valuable items in your car while out and about, place items out of sight before reaching your destination or move them inconspicuously. This includes purses, wallets, backpacks, gym bags, GPS units and MP3 players. Someone may be watching when you put items under a seat or throw something over them. An opportunistic thief is on the lookout for trunk packing, and can break into your car the minute you're out of sight.

4. Lock ALL your vehicle's doors even if you plan to be gone for only a brief time. Every year, we have items stolen from unlocked vehicles where the owner was only going to be gone "just for a second". It only takes seconds to steal your valuables! It's not at all uncommon for thieves to walk down a row of parked vehicles and check vehicle doors to see if they are unlocked. Don't leave any windows open or even cracked open, including vent/wing windows and sunroofs.

5. Set any alarm or anti-theft device. If you have one, use it! Many people believe that car-alarms no longer make a difference, but they can be an effective deterrent to an auto burglar, who most often chooses the easiest target. If thieves have two cars to choose from, one with an alarm and one without, they will likely burglarize the one without (unless you've left out valuables just too good to ignore!)

What Items are Most Commonly Stolen from Vehicles?

Backpacks, gym bags, briefcases, day-planners
, cash or coins, checkbooks and credit or debit cards
, wallets and purses (even when hidden under a seat or in an unlocked glove compartment), laptop computers, iPods and MP3 players, (and docking stations), cell phones (and chargers), portable GPS navigation systems
, Stereo/CD players (and faceplates), amps, speakers (even when bolted down!), jewelry, keys, mail (identity theft), tools
, anything of obvious value.

What to do if something is stolen out of your car

As soon as you notice something’s stolen, or that your car has been broken into, do not touch or adjust anything in, on, or around the car. As soon as possible, call the police to report the incident.

Remember, auto burglary prevention, like all crime prevention, involves limiting the criminal’s ability and/or opportunity to commit the crime. With very little time and effort, you can make a huge difference in your vulnerability to auto burglary. Help us to protect your property.