Vehicle Crime

Dear residents, 

We are seeing a rise in vehicle crime in your neighbourhood.

Please be mindful when locking your car and take steps to keep your vehicle secure. We recommend the following:  

Secure your Number Plates  

Fit theft-resistant number plate fittings. Stolen number plates are commonly used to hide the identity of stolen vehicles. Use one-way clutch head screws to secure number plates 

Lock your vehicle

Locking your vehicle, even when filling up or parked on your drive, greatly reduces the possibility of it being targeted by an opportunist thief. Even if you have locked your vehicle, check you haven’t left any windows or the sunroof open.

It is actually illegal to leave your vehicle running unattended while you de-ice it or warm it up in cold weather. If someone takes it while it’s left like this, your insurer won’t pay out because you won’t be covered.

If your vehicle has wing mirrors that fold in automatically when locked, make sure you lock it properly. Criminal gangs are looking for vehicles like these where the wing mirrors are still out because it is clear to them that the vehicle has been left unlocked.

Keep the keys safe 

Keys and ignition fobs should be kept safe and out of sight and reach. A common way to steal a car is to take the keys or ignition fob, so never leave them in the vehicle, even if it is unattended for a moment. When at home ensure that your keys or ignition fob are kept well away from windows or doors so that they cannot be seen by a potential thief and never leave them close to the front door where they can be accessed through letterboxes. Put the keys in a signal-blocking pouch, such as a Faraday bag.  

Don't Leave Valuables on Show  

It might sound obvious but leaving items on show is an invitation to the opportunist criminal - mobile phones, satnavs and mounts, power leads, money, wallets, handbags, sunglasses, coats, jackets and bags should always be removed from the vehicle or hidden well out of sight .

Use Physical Security  

Physical security products such as a steering wheel lock or a lock that fits over the gear lever still act as a good deterrent.

Install a Tracker  

Tracker systems can increase the recovery of your car if it is stolen. Many systems activate once the car is stolen and track the car via GPS and other systems. SBD have several members which specialise in this area and can advise you on the best system and fitting of the product for your vehicle type. 

If you see any suspicious behaviour going on in your area, report via: non emergency 101 or online, if its an emergency 999.