Burglaries to cars can be easily prevented just by locking up.
Sheriff’s Crime Prevention staff says caution and common sense are the best ways to reduce your
chances of becoming a crime victim.
While overall crime appears to be down county-wide, burglaries to cars continue to be one of the most common crimes occurring in Orange
County. Sheriff’s Crime Prevention Officers say we could see a dramatic drop in the number of burglaries to vehicles if people would simply
lock their cars whenever they leave them unattended. Leaving a car unlocked creates an easy opportunity for a predator to commit a
burglary. When that unlocked car has an expensive GPS or radar detector on the dashboard, a stack of CD’s or I-Phone on the passenger
seat, or a wallet our purse in plain view of a passer by the chances of becoming a burglary increase exponentially.
During 2008 crime statistics showed that nearly eight out of 10 burglaries to vehicles were “non forced entry” burglaries. Simply put, all the
thief had to do was walk up to a car and open the door. The majority of these incidents tend to occur at night and it is not unusual for several
such burglaries to occur in one neighborhood during the same time period. Thieves, more often than not juveniles, will sneak through an
entire neighborhood during the early morning hours and run from car to car opening the car doors that are unlocked and removing everything
from valuable electronic equipment to spare change in the console.
Car burglary crime prevention tips…
· Roll up your windows, remove valuable items from plain view, and lock your car whenever you leave it unattended, especially overnight even if it is parked
in your own driveway
· Leave a light on in your driveway… motion activated lights are a big plus!
· If you have a garage… use it.
· Remove your garage door opener and spare house key from your car whenever you leave it unattended in your driveway… once a thief has your opener
he can get inside your garage, close the door, and take all of the time in the world he needs to burglarize your home.
· Purchase and use a car alarm.
· Always report suspicious activity in your neighborhood… you know who’s supposed to be there and who isn’t… when you see something that doesn’t
look right, call law enforcement.
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| Vehicle Burglaries |
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