Tips for Automobile SecurityThe Gadsden Police Department wants
you continue owning your vehicle until you are ready to get rid of it. Many car
owners, because of carelessness and unconcerned behavior, invite thieves to steal
their car. The chances of having your car stolen are greatly minimized by simply
removing the opportunity through a few precautionary measures. If your car is too
much trouble to steal, a thief will look for another car. Here are some simple steps
to take that will make your car harder to steal Parking Your Vehicle
- ALWAYS take the key out of the ignition, roll the windows up tight and lock the
doors whenever you park your vehicle, even if only for a minute.
- Park in a well-lighted, busy location if possible. A car thief would rather work
where he is not seen. Check your vehicle from time to time.
- If you have a garage, use it! Lock both your car and the garage. If you don’t have
a garage, park in a driveway instead of the street, if possible.
- When you park in an attended lot, leave only the ignition key. Don’t give the attendant
a full set of keys or any key on which a key code appears. Either invites key copying.
If you leave your house key, your home may become a target of a future burglary.
- Never hide spare keys in a secret place or in a magnetic key box under the hood
or other accessible places. Car thieves routinely check the visors and ash tray
and look under the floor mats. If you feel better with spare keys close at hand,
then carry them with you.
- After parking your car, set the emergency brake and put the car in park or in gear
if it has a manual transmission. To make it difficult for a thief to illegally tow
your car, turn the steering wheel sharply to the left or right and remove the key
to lock the steering column.
Alarms and Auto Theft Deterrence SystemsInstall locks that deter
thefts, such as:
- Tapered door lock buttons, to keep thieves from using coat hangers to open your
car doors from the inside.
- High-security ignition locks, which normally go around the steering column housing
(sometimes these are known as "cuff locks").
- Install other forms of disablers, such as:
- An ignition kill device, which interferes with the ignition system even if the car
is "hot-wired."
- A fuel cutoff device, which shuts off the fuel after running for a few seconds.
All of these devices can be hidden.
Install the best type of alarm that you can afford (silent alarms, sound discriminators,
motion detectors, and computerized tracking transmitters are among the high-end
devices now available). Be sure to advise potential thieves that you have an alarm
by placing warning stickers on your windows or windshields. Other Tips
- Don’t keep the car’s title in the glove compartment; keep it at home. This will
prevent a thief from using the title to "prove" he owns the car.
- Don’t keep anything of value in your glove compartment-- and, therefore, don’t lock
your glove compartment. Otherwise, some inquisitive thief may break it open to see
what’s inside.
- Check periodically to be sure that your vehicle identification number (VIN) is intact.
This is the small metal plate, usually on the driver’s side where the dashboard
and windshield meet.
- Put packages and valuables out of sight, in the trunk. These include such items
as cellular phones, calculators, CB radios, tape decks, expensive sports equipment
and clothing. Put these items away before parking your car. If your car has a button
release, keep the trunk button locked. This simple step only takes a few seconds
every time you leave your vehicle and is one of the best ways to keep a thief out
of your vehicle.
- When selling a car, DON`T let a stranger take it for a test drive alone. A car thief
will not be back to pay you for your car. If a prospective buyer wants to take the
car to a mechanic for an appraisal, volunteer to deliver and pick up the car.
REMEMBER TO BUCKLE UP WHEN YOU DRIVE and NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE!