Valuables not always safe inside your car

By Frank Fourchalk - Peace Arch News - May 10, 2008

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The next time you drive your vehicle to the dog park or nature reserve, remember to remove the car insurance and registration from your vehicle.

I’m talking about carrying it with you while you enjoy a walk in the park.

If you don’t, you might find a few items missing from your home when you return. 

That’s exactly what happened to a couple who decided to take Rover for a walk at Stokes Pit. The lady didn’t want to carry her purse with her so she gambled on what she thought was a safe bet.

She locked her purse in the trunk of her car. 

When the couple returned to their vehicle they noticed the trunk lock had been tampered with and the purse was gone. Even though the purse didn’t contain any credit cards it did contain the lady’s car keys.

The good news was the thief didn’t take the vehicle. The bad news was the couple’s house keys were also in the purse and the vehicle licence and registration had been taken from the glove box. 

The thief was now armed with house keys and an address – a lethal arsenal to execute the perfect crime.

Without wasting any time, the couple made the fifteen minute drive home. Once there, they discovered someone had been in their house. After doing a quick inventory, they discovered cash and credit cards were missing. 

The lady immediately reported the theft to the credit card companies and in the process, discovered somebody had charged up a total of five thousand dollars within two hours. The total would have been higher if it wasn’t for a quick thinking grocery cashier demanding picture identification from the culprits. 

This type of crime is not uncommon. So how can we stop being victimized by these stealthy, premeditated predators?

The answer to that question is quite simple: don’t create opportunities for thieves. Think before you act.

 You need to assume you’re being watched whenever you park your car in an isolated parking lot. I’m not promoting paranoia, I’m promoting safe keeping through awareness. Lets get the upper hand on the bad guys by lifting our heads and assessing potential crime spots. Don’t assume because you lock something in your vehicle, it is safe. 

Vehicles are easy to break into. Vehicle locks are useless in keeping the bad guys out, and we all know how vulnerable the window area is. Yes, there are car alarms and immobilizers to prevent auto theft, but these devices don’t prevent a burglar from stealing items from your car. 

Smash, grab and run is still a popular  method for thieves to get what they want. So lets stop feeding these rats with laptops, purses, money and other valuables.

Maybe then, theft from vehicle stats will be on the decrease.

Frank Fourchalk writes bi-weekly on home and business security for The Peace Arch News. www.yourhomesecurity.ca

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Valuables not always safe inside your car

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