Vehicle Burglary Prevention Tips
Vehicle burglaries and thefts are crimes of opportunity which occur at all hours, day and night. Burglaries from a vehicle generally have one thing in common: personal belongings, such as purses, bags, clothing, laptops and other electronic devices, are left in vehicles. Keep in mind anything can be of value to a thief.
Crime Prevention Tips:
- Always roll up vehicle windows and lock all doors.
- Hide your personal belongings. If you leave property visible in your vehicle, your vehicle is automatically a target.
- Store items in your trunk before you arrive on-site; avoid storing items in your trunk after you park.
- Keep cell phone cords and other electronic accessories out of sight. Burglars are willing to break a window when they see a cord because there is a chance that a device will be in the vehicle.
- Burglars are able to detect the Bluetooth signal on electronic devices. Place your electronics in airplane mode or turn off the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi option, then power off your electronic devices. Put away devices before you get to the parking lot.
- If you are alone and it is late, ask store security to accompany you to your parked vehicle.
- Park in a well-lit area.
Look out for “suspicious activity” including:
- People walking up and down the parking lot aisles looking into cars or trying door handles
- Vehicles driving around parking lots at very slow speeds for extended periods of time while observing parked cars
- People on bicycles or electronic scooters casing around the parking lot