|
I wanted to provide you with an update regarding theft from motor vehicles, that people around your area have been reporting recently. In particular, theft of blue badges, parcel shelves and catalytic converters. If you witness blue badges, parcel shelves or catalytic converters being stolen from a vehicle, or anybody interfering with a vehicle, please call 999 at the time. 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. Don’t leave Blue Badges on show – Register Vehicle as Exempt- Substitute Badge Scheme If blue badge needs to be displayed anti-theft locks can be useful Remove/cover the parcel shelf where possible Full advice and guidance on this, and other crime types is available on the Metropolitan Police website: www.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention and www.securedbydesign.com 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/, or call the non-emergency number 101. | 
