Rise in vehicle crime in the Wycombe District of Buckinghamshire

Have just received a notification that there is a rise in vehicle crime in the Wycombe District of county Bucks in the south of England.

According to the alert "The High Wycombe area has seen a rise in theft from motor vehicles. Most offences of theft from vehicle are opportunist. If valuable possessions (eg, handbags, laptops, sat navs, iPods, mobile phones, cameras) are left on show inside a vehicle, it is much more likely to be targeted by thieves. Even items of little value, such as shopping bags and clothing, may tempt a potential thief to break into the vehicle to see whether they contain anything worth stealing.

Offences can take place during the day or night, whether a vehicle is parked in a driveway, on the street or in a public car park. Typically thieves will smash windows to gain entry; sometimes they will break door locks or, on older vehicles, prise the door away from the body of the vehicle.

Thames Valley Police are urging the public to follow the advice below so that you can become less of a target and reduce the chances of becoming a victim

The following sections contain crime prevention and reduction advice for motorists and car park owners, as well as tactics that will assist police and partners to reduce this type of vehicle crime.

Crime prevention advice

• When leaving your car, close all windows and lock your car
• Park your car in an attended car park
• Look for public car parks approved by the Park Mark scheme
• When parking at home, use your garage. If you don't have a garage, park in a well-lit area
• Don't leave anything on display in your vehicle
• Take all your personal possessions with you
• Remove sat nav holders and visible sat nav ring marks from windscreens
• Leave the glove box open to show there's nothing inside
• Fit an alarm or immobiliser to your car
• Record the details of your property on the Immobilise website
• Do not store your car's documents in the car
• Secure your wheels using locking wheel nuts" - Source TVP

One of the above points "Leave the glove box open to show there's nothing inside" might in fact trigger of an interior light in there and this means that the battery might drain overnight or when it is parked.

Do make sure that you have your car insurance up to date, there are a great choice of companies advertising on the jml Insurance website like Endsleigh, eCar Insurance, Staysure for the over 50s and Quotezone. 

Find out more at  http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/types.php?id=1&sec=2