Theft Prevention REMINDER: Preventing theft starts with you!

 

Theft is the most common type of crime on college campuses. The greatest majority (Over 80%) take place during daylight. The reality is that, most thefts that occur on campuses involve crimes of opportunity – and are easily preventable. There are many ways in which individuals can protect their property by making themselves a smaller target for thieves – commonly referred to as “target hardening”.

Criminals look for the easy target, don’t give it to them. The Parking4Pay Security Team challenges YOU to practice these important theft prevention techniques, so we may eliminate opportunities for potential theft in our community. Motor Vehicle Burglary Prevention – Best Practices

 

HIDE…valuables from site; even better, take all items of value with you. If a criminal doesn’t see anything, they’re less likely to break in to your vehicle and will proceed to the next vehicle to “window shop”. Remember to hide valuables before parking and leaving your vehicle. Give a would-be thief absolutely no reason to burglarize your car.

 

Remember - It all starts with YOU! LOCK…your vehicle. Again most thefts from vehicles are through unlocked doors. Yes, it only takes seconds to break a window, but doing so makes noise – and criminals hate noise. Locking your vehicle also means “securing” your vehicle. You also want to make sure that all windows are rolled up before locking your vehicle. Also, if you have a car alarm please make sure it is working properly – and use it!

 

TAKE…your keys. Unfortunately, it is still common practice for individuals to leave their keys in their car and/or in the ignition when unattended. Police officers often come across unattended vehicles with the keys in the ignition and engine running. *Remember there is no 100% fool-proof way to prevent all crime. You can make yourself less likely to be a victim of Motor Vehicle Burglary by following the above practices and using common sense. Simply locking your vehicle and removing property is half the battle!