Local Priorities Theft From Motor Vehicle Message

I wanted to provide an update regarding theft from motor vehicles, which members around this area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the Met Engage priority survey.

Dear resident we are still experiencing several offences of vehicle break ins each week, this is mainly in the vicinity of Lacy Road and some roads nearby which is near Putney High Street and sometimes in Enterprise Way and Osiers Road in the East of the ward. What the majority of these offences have in common is that the vehicle owners have left objects on display, usually bags which often contain valuables such as laptops and tablet computers. Thieves will break into vehicles that have bags or cases left inside them knowing that there is a high chance that they may contain valuables. Please leave your vehicles empty of all valuables and bags and these offences will reduce. When it comes to catching the criminals responsible, we are mainly reliant on cctv, however virtually all these offences take place at night with no known time of offence and a window of perhaps 12 hours which can't be checked as it would take too long, the police will generally ask cctv operators to check their footage for a 20-30 minute window only as it is impractical to expect people to check for longer, therefore we normally have to close these crime reports immediately unless there is other evidence such as forensics in the form of blood or clothing that the suspect has left behind.

Having personal items stolen from your vehicle is an upsetting experience, and we are determined to find and arrest those who break the law. We will keep you updated with what we are doing to tackle this in your area, but in the meantime, please follow the below advice to help protect your belongings.  

• Check that your vehicle is locked and secure every time you leave it. Thieves often look for easy opportunities to steal from vehicles. They will usually try the handles until they get lucky and find one that has been left unlocked.  

• Keep your keys safe, out of view when at home and away from your front door.  

• If you have a keyless entry vehicle, keep the key well away from the vehicle while at home and turn off wireless signals on your fob when it’s not being used. Consider putting the keys in a screened or signal blocking pouch, such as a Faraday Bag and check that it is still working every few months.  

• Remove all items from view by taking them with you or putting them in the boot out of sight. Thieves will look for any items on display. Things like clothes, documents or an old bag might not seem like valuables, but they could still tempt a thief. Ensure you remove all other clues there might be valuables linked to the car, such as phone chargers or sat-nav mounts.  

• Park your vehicle in a private garage if you can. If you do not have access to one, try to park in a well –lit open space.  

• Try to use public car parks that are part of the police approved Park Mark safer parking scheme.  

• Secure your number plates with tamper resistant screws to avoid them being stolen and used by others. 

If you ever experience 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.

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