Ok, that might be a harsh start...but hopefully it got your attention. If not, try these words that were recently posted in the safety bulletin from one of my local neighborhoods...
BEING STREET-SMART ABOUT CAR BREAK-INS
Having said all of the foregoing, we cannot stress enough to refrain from leaving valuables in plain sight when you park your car. Car break-ins are our most chronic public security problem, and also among the most preventable. Leaving valuables in your car - even just for a few minutes - is always asking for trouble. Street criminals often strike within minutes after parking - they know that you will be distracted and not paying attention to outside your home (listening to answering machine messages, feeding the dogs, etc).
We often hear stories where someone swooped in after work to change clothes or grab items for the next activity, only to find the car window smashed and the laptop and purse gone. It is best to place these items in the trunk in case you need to make quick stops along the way. Snatchers love convenience stores and shopping center parking lots.
A most dramatic illustration of this phenomenon: a woman parked on ***th Street during the 3pm hour to pick up a child at School. She drove a high-clearance SUV with tinted windows. It was no more than 5 minutes that she went into the school to pick up the child and return to the car. During that time, a Sheriff's Deputy was directing traffic in front of the school, 50 yards away, and a motorcycle cop was writing a ticket about 50 yards in the other direction. Across the street in the park people were lying in the sun on that spring day, and there were plenty of people walking along the street. She came back to her car to find the passenger side front window broken and her purse snatched from the floorboard. Whoever did that was quick to notice that she left her car without her purse, and instantly knew that there must be a purse in the car.
Crooks breaking into cars tend to be very slick, and can strike quickly without making much noise. They typically use a spark plug inside a stocking which they can quickly draw from their pocket and put back - they do not have to find or conspicuously carry a rock or brick. The physical properties of the porcelain on the spark plug effectively minimize the effort needed to shatter the glass.
Needless to say, those few minutes when you think your items are safe in your car...they are NOT! This is now especially true as the holiday shopping season approaches! No matter where you live, there are desperate people that will take desperate measures, and you need to protect yourself. And you can only imagine what you will go through if your wallet or purse...and identity are stolen!
Be Aware of Your Surroundings! If you are walking on the street, you don't have to make direct eye contact with the person (or persons) approaching you, but we aware of them. A slight glance over your shoulder after they pass (if you feel it necessary) to make sure they did not turn around and follow you.
Everything, and I MEAN EVERYTHING, should be out of sight in your car! Lock it in your trunk. And if your car offers a valet key, and a way to lock the trunk from inside the trunk, DO IT! A burglar can break into your car, and then simply pop open your trunk and away they go! If you drive an SUV, use the cover that covers the cargo area. Limit how many things you buy at one time....and make one trip to your car, and leave, rather than a trip to the car, drop off, and back to another store. Don't even leave loose change in your console....50 cents here, a dollar there...it can add up to the thief!
MORE SAFETY TIPS:
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Park in areas that are well-lit and close to buildings or walkways
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As you approach your car, check in and around it before getting in
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Have the keys ready when you approach the car. Don't be fumbling in your purse or pockets
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When in your car, lock the doors, and roll up windows if in an unfamiliar area
As part of my efforts as Membership Chairman for Midtown Neighbors' Association, I recently created this "safety ticket" which we are handing out to people in our neighborhood, reminding them NOT to leave valuables in their car.
I hope this advise keep you, and yours, safe!!
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