 Leave it and lose it
The clocks went back recently, and the extra hour in bed was very welcome! What a pity that then
leads to dark evenings, dark mornings and winter! As the darkness can make life so much easier for
would-be thieves, motorists are being urged to avoid leaving any valuable items in their cars.
Unfortunately motorists are getting careless again, as the number of reports of vehicles being broken
into rises. Sat navs are still a villain’s favourite – and especially with Christmas just around the corner.
The tell tale circle on the windscreen left by the plastic sucker may be enough to have the car broken
open. Even a plastic bag on the back seat can be tempting. It may only contain wet swimming trunks,
but the villain does not know that when he breaks in.
Cars are now far more hi-tech than ever. However, glass will still break just as easily as 30 years ago,
so it only takes seconds to get in and out of a vehicle. Loose change, sunglasses, a forgotten mobile
phone, or a nice jacket on the back seat are all an open invitation to the would-be thief. Laptop and
notebook/tablet computers are all getting smaller and lighter, and very easy to forget and leave in a
car by accident.
Remember, replacing your glass can be an expensive job as insurance excesses have increased over
recent years. Your contribution to the cost of a broken window (if this is covered on your insurance
policy) could be as much as £100 – a lot of money before you’ve even started replacing your stolen
items.
You may have got a nice new phone as a free upgrade from your provider, however a replacement
handset can actually cost several hundred pounds if you don’t have it insured, and your contract isn’t
due for renewal.
Please look after your valuables and take them out of your vehicle whenever possible. Thieves know
that handbags are often concealed under the front passenger seat, so don’t be surprised that ‘your’
hiding place has been compromised! It is also possible for a thief, given enough time and inclination,
to get into the boot of a car. Although using the boot will slow a would-be intruder down, leaving
valuables overnight in a vehicle is not ideal.
If you have a works van, which simply isn’t practical to empty every night, please consider additional
heavy-duty locks, a good alarm system, and security mark your tools so they can be traced if the worst
should happen.
Please also be on your guard against those who offer second hand goods in pubs, car boot sales or on
internet auction sites. If there is no sales history, paperwork or guarantee, and it all seems too good to
be true, then it almost certainly is!
If you’ve information about any crime, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, or log on to
www.mostwanted-uk.org You can also follow me on twitter @HantsCrimestopp for regular update
Your call is free, no one will know you called and you may earn a cash reward.
Article posted on: 31 October 2012
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