Thefts from Motor Vehicles in Woodside

Good afternoon,

Since summer drew to a close, we have seen a significant increase in thefts from cars and vans in Woodside ward. 

On top of our regular patrols, we are applying for additional funding so we can put more officers on the street at the times when these crimes are occurring. In the meantime we wanted to write to you to make you aware of the problem and to offer some advice for keeping yourself and your belongings safe:

-60% of thefts from motor vehicles occur between 7pm and 2am. Please be vigilant in the evenings, and if you see someone acting suspiciously around your car or one of your neighbour's, report it to us.

-Please, where possible, keep your car empty so that nothing can be seen through the windows. Even if you don't leave valuables in your car, a thief may be encouraged by an abundance of items (such as charging cables, bags, keys or glasses etc.) inside the cabin, since they might assume they'll find something worth having amongst these items. We recently had an incident where a thief broke into a car and stole nothing more than a box of cigarettes. Keep the interior of your car clear - and try to keep any necessary items out of view in the glovebox or boot - and make it obvious to potential thieves that there is no reason to target your vehicle. 

-Please make sure your car is locked and secure every time you leave it - it's all too easy to forget if you're stressed, running late or have lots going on, but it's worth taking the time to double check. We continue to see a significant number of opportunistic thefts where offenders are walking up and down streets trying door handles until they find an unlocked vehicle. Please be aware that trying to gain access to someone else's car without permission is a crime - it's called vehicle interference - and you should call us if you see someone interfering with a vehicle that isn't theirs, even if they don't manage to gain entry or steal anything.

-Blue Badges continue to be an extremely desirable target for thieves and we have seen multiple recent instances of offenders smashing car windows to get to them. The council offers a virtual Blue Badge permit for use within Haringey which is designed to ensure there is nothing physical for thieves to get their hands on. This virtual permit is free for Blue Badge holders. We strongly advise you make this transition if you haven't already, and please encourage and support any vulnerable family members you may have to do so:

https://haringey.gov.uk/parking/parking-permits/disabled/resident-Blue-Badge

-We are increasingly seeing thieves target valuable parts on the exterior of newer cars, especially radar sensors and badges. Volkswagens seem to be a particular target at the moment. If you do have a newer car with these expensive sensors, please consider if there are any extra steps you can take to keep it safe - if at all possible, get the car out of sight in a garage. If you have a driveway, please consider security lights and CCTV cameras to put thieves off, and to help us catch them if they do strike. 

-Finally, think forensics. If your car is unfortunately broken into, please refrain from cleaning it until you have reported the theft to police and ideally heard back from us. We do send scene examiners to these crimes where forensic opportunities exist, and recently we have seen investigative opportunities lost due to victims immediately cleaning the inside of their vehicles following a break in and theft.

Stay safe everyone and please call 999 if you see a vehicle crime in progress so we can provide a swift response.

If you have experienced this issue or have information regarding an incident, please report it using our online reporting tools at https://www.met.police.uk/, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101. Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org. 

Kind regards,

PC Ben WOOLF 1684NA