Police are warning vehicle owners to be on their guard after a spate of theft and damage from cars in Borehamwood, Elstree and Radlett. In the last two weeks, 19 cars have been targetted according to Hertfordshire Police. Crime Prevention Officer Chrissie Barclay said: “Car criminals tend to be opportunistic and you can take precautions by parking in a well-lit spot or in your garage if you have one. Always lock your car. Never leave anything valuable in your vehicle and don’t leave ANYTHING visible.
“You may know that a sports bag on the back seat contains your football kit – but the criminal doesn’t. Don’t take that chance.”
To reduce the risk of becoming a victim of car crime, police advise:
When Parking/leaving your vehicle
• Close all windows, including the sunroof, and lock all doors.
• Turn on the immobiliser and alarm if you have one.
• Whenever possible park on your own drive, and remember to reverse the car in. The doors will then open the wrong way for a thief wanting protection. (One brilliant idea is to install a portable Driveway Alarm (pictured) which is so simple to use. The unit comes in two pieces, a transmitter and a receiver. Place the transmitter on your driveway at around waist height and perhaps at a 45 degree angle to the car. The receiver unit is kept indoors (you can even take it into the bedroom with you when you go to bed). Now, if anybody comes onto your driveway, the built-in movement detector will trigger the internal alarm to let you know that someone is about!).
• Put your aerial down to stop it being damaged.
• Don’t leave anything on display – take all your belongings with you.
• Remove your sat nav equipment remembering to also take the support cradle and suction pads.
• Remove your car stereo after every journey if it has a ‘face off’ facility
• Don’t leave anything of value in the glove compartment.
• Property-mark your stereo and satellite navigation system, and any other valuables you take into your car regularly.
For more advice about vehicle crime, look at www.herts.police.uk.
