Vehicle Theft Prevention

Each year more than one million vehicles are stolen in the United States -- about one every 30 seconds. You can decrease the probability of your vehicle becoming one of the statistics.

• Do not leave your keys in the car!
• Lock the doors and take the keys with you.
• Never leave your car running while unattended.
• Never leave valuables in plain view, even if your car is locked. Lock them in the trunk or store them under the seat.
• Never hide a second set of keys in your vehicle.
• Park in high-traffic, well-lighted areas whenever possible.
• Pay attention to your surroundings.
• To prevent a thief from towing your vehicle, park with the front wheels turned sharply to the left or right.

Personal Safety Tips

While is a parking lot...

• Be cautious of strangers lingering in the area. Always have your keys in your hand, ready to unlock the door. Once inside, lock the doors, start the car and drive away.
• If you are confronted by someone who wants your car, do not resist their demands. Give them the car and run for help. Do not go with them!
• Completely close all vehicle windows.
• Do not park next to a large truck, dumpster or anywhere thieves could be hiding.

Anti-Theft Devices

Anti-theft devises can deter thieves in three ways.

• Physically - No thief wants to waste precious time exerting a lot of physical effort.
• Visually - Just the sight of an anti-theft device inside a car will put off many thieves.
• Audibly - Thieves never want to draw attention to themselves.

Vehicle Alarms: A car alarm can be a deterrent to some thieves; however, professional car thieves can often work quickly enough to override the alarm. The type of alarm that disables the car is the most effective. Also, an LED light displayed in a visible place on the dashboard will help deter amateurs.

Steering Wheel Locks: These types of devices are a good deterrent to the inexperienced car thief. When properly affixed, the device limits steering wheel movement, making the vehicle nearly impossible to operate.

Glass Etching: Etch the vehicle identification number (VIN) on all windows of the vehicle. This will deter professionals because it is too expensive and time consuming to replace all the glass on the vehicle.