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• Lock your car doors and close your windows.

• Don't leave valuables in your car. If you do, make sure they are kept out of plain sight-lock them in your trunk.

• When transporting valuables, place them in the trunk before you get to the location where you intend to park. Don't transfer them at the parking place in open view of other people.

• If you have a garage, use it. Make good use of outdoor motion lights.

• Don't leave your garage door opener on the dashboard or front seat. Put it in your glove box, hide it, or take it with you.

• Always park in a well‑lighted area.

• Use removable face plates or portable mounts on CD decks, I‑Pods, and phones. When you leave your car, put them in the trunk or take them with you.

• Mark radios, CBs, tape decks, telephones, batteries, wheel covers, and tires with an Operation Identification number. If the stolen item is found later, the number can be traced back to you. To enroll in Operation ID, contact your local police/sheriff.

• Remember: briefcases, sunglasses, clothing, keys, gym bags, and small change are all tempting a thief.

• Leave only the ignition key with the parking attendant in a commercial parking lot.

• Keep your driver's license and vehicle registration with you. Left with the car, the documents can be used by a thief to impersonate you when transferring the car's ownership.

• Car keys left at home (or at your business) should always be hidden. This will help prevent the theft of your vehicle if you are burglarized.

• There are locks made for various marketable parts of cars. Battery locks, wheel locks, and special tape deck lock mounts can save these items plus any damage that may occur in the process of stealing them.

• Install a locking gas tank cap to help prevent gasoline theft and limit a thief's driving range to one tank.

• Park the front wheel turned sharply to the right or left, making it difficult for the professional thief to tow your car away backwards.

• With front wheel drive cars: When you park pull on the emergency brake and place your vehicle in Park. If you have a stick shift, pull on the emergency brake and shift into forward or reverse gear. All four wheels will be locked, making it difficult for a thief to tow your car.

• Call 911 as soon as theft occurs.

Likely Targets for The ft
Any vehicle with a visible cellular phone, radar detector, visible power cord or mount, vehicle containing a briefcase, purse, gym bags or other valuables left in sight, vehicle left running and unattended at any public place.

Property Often Stolen From Vehicles

• stereo equipment 

• Ipods 

• cellular phones

• gym bags 

• brief cases

• purses/wallets 

• sunglasses

• checkbooks 

• auto parts

• cameras 

• radar detectors

• spare change 

• compact discs

• car batteries (especially in colder months) 

• hand tools, tool boxes, power tools

What Thieves Do With Stolen Property
Many things can be sold to other thieves or to someone who is looking for a deal. Other times they can be sold for cash at pawnshops. Some thieves look for purses to steal, and then they immediately make large purchases on the credit cards and alter the victim's ID so they, or an accomplice, can forge the checks. This can cause an incredible amount of worry, hassle, and inconvenience for a victim. The thief doesn't care about you, your feelings, or the hardship the theft will put you through. His or her point of view is, "Why should I pay for something when I can steal it?"

Preventing Vehicle Theft
Lock your vehicle and put valuables out of sight, preferably in the trunk or bring them into the house at night. Thieves will break into any vehicle if they think there is something of value to be stolen from it. Thieves know that briefcases may contain checkbooks, wallets, watches, calculators, and other small electronics. Similarly, they are aware that many gym bags contain jewelry, keys, cash, and personal stereos, etc.

After removing valuables from view, lock your car doors. This will discourage some of the more casual thieves, the ones looking for the opportunity to steal. It will also deter those who would go into an unlocked car to look for a trunk or hood release button in order to steal auto parts or the contents of the trunk.

Report suspicious activity while it is happening. This could save you or your neighbor from being victimized. Call 911 and stay on the line if you see or hear something that seems unusual or suspicious. Try to get a description of the suspects and their vehicle, and do not confront suspects.

Don't think you are bothering the police by calling them to report suspicious activity. It's their job to detect and apprehend criminals, and they need your help because they can't be in everyone's neighborhood 24 hours a day. If your suspicions prove to be unfounded, you shouldn't feel embarrassed. The police prefer that you call them so they can investigate that suspicious activity. It is more desirable to be mistaken than to be a victim!

Additional Security Measures
Outdoor security, such as lighting left on from dusk to dawn, is inexpensive and helps to deter crimes such as theft, vandalism, and burglary. In addition, many citizens are now equipping their cars with alarm systems. In some cases, the value of the vehicle and/or its contents are worth the cost of installation.

You can increase the chances of your property being recovered if it stolen, by recording the serial number and marking items with an Operation Identification number available at no charge from the police department.