Police urge Crewe residents to lock their vehicles and be vigilant

 

Police have issued a "lock your vehicles" warning after a number of thefts from unlocked cars in Crewe.

Last month 20 cars were targeted by opportunist thieves in the town, three cars were targeted on the same drive, all were left unlocked.

DI Nigel Groom said: "The majority of incidents occurred overnight and are a clear case of an opportunist thief trying door handles in the hope of striking lucky.

"Sadly in Crewe, there appears to have been rich pickings as they found 20 cars unlocked and were able to take advantage.

"While we continue to crackdown on car thieves, we urge people to lock their cars up and report to police anyone acting suspiciously in their street.

"We also advise people never to leave cash or valuables in a parked vehicle and certainly not to leave anything of value on show."

DI Groom offers the following advice:

•Ensure your vehicle is locked and secure when it is unattended - even for a few seconds. Always activate the alarm and/or steering lock.

•Remove any valuable items − such as mobile phones, laptops and cash - from the vehicle. Do not be tempted to hide valuable items in the glove box or under seats.

•Remember to remove the sat nav and the fascia of car stereos - ensure you detach the cradle. Wipe away the mark from the windscreen that has been left by the suction pad − this is a tell-tale sign for thieves that a sat nav is being used in the vehicle.

•Record important information such as the make, model and serial numbers of any valuable property so that the property can be identified if it is ever stolen.

•Consider fitting a special anti-theft number plate to your vehicle. These plates will shatter or distort if they are forcibly removed making them unusable by thieves.

•Your car keys are also important so make sure you look after them and know where they are at all times.

•Try and park in well-lit areas where there are a lot of people around. If a garage is available for overnight parking ensure that it is used whenever possible and that it is locked and secured.

Anyone with any information about vehicle crime is urged to contact officers from Crewe police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.