Lock it or lose it, police warn after huge rise in car crime (From Thisisdorset)
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Lock it or lose it, police warn after huge rise in car crime
8:41am Thursday 6th December 2012 in News
Lock it or lose it, police warn after huge rise in car crime
A HUGE rise in thefts from cars has left police urging motorists to ensure vehicles are made secure.
Drivers are being urged to make it harder for thieves by locking vehicles and removing any valuable items before leaving cars unattended.
There were 321 reported thefts from vehicles in Poole between August and October this year, compared with 179 during the same period last year.
In Bournemouth there were a total of 390 thefts from vehicles during the three months, up 20.7 per cent from 323 in the same period in 2011.
Jared Parkin, Poole Neighbourhood Chief Inspector said: “A large number of the thefts from cars in Poole have been as a result of drivers leaving their cars unlocked.
“It is so important that people make sure they lock their cars, otherwise opportunist thieves will simply help themselves to whatever is left in the car.
“Don’t make it easy for thieves. Keep your car locked and don’t leave valuables in your vehicle,” he said.
Cllr Judy Butt, cabinet portfolio holder for public engagement and participation, Borough of Poole and vice-chairman of the Safer Poole Partnership Board said: “The sharp increase compared to last year’s figures is very worrying and our residents will be concerned.
“With most vehicles having an electronic locking mechanism I would urge drivers not to press the locking button a few yards from their vehicle whilst walking away, but to check that it really has locked, as often this is not the case.
“With Christmas just weeks away please don’t have it ruined by leaving your family gifts on display in the car and some opportune thief stealing them.”
Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA, said: “The advice is to make sure your car does lock properly before you leave it and make sure you never leave anything on display.”
He said many cars acknowledged they had been locked by flashing their lights and it was sensible never to leave anything on view that looked as if it could be valuable, even if it was not.
Comments(29)
nobull
says...
9:30am Thu 6 Dec 12
scrumpyjack
says...
9:41am Thu 6 Dec 12
Hammy1
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9:55am Thu 6 Dec 12
Angry_of_Merley
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10:00am Thu 6 Dec 12
thepooleboy
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10:24am Thu 6 Dec 12
You won't stop someone getting in your car who really wants to get in there - but why make it easy?
Also another good tip is to leave your glovebox open showing there's nothing in there - many potential thieves will 'assume' you've got a SatNav or potential valuables in there if they can't see for themselves.
speedy231278
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10:37am Thu 6 Dec 12
hadvar
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11:31am Thu 6 Dec 12
speedy231278 wrote:Yes. Perhaps we could have a high profile, anti car crime campaign. "No excuses for nicking stuff from people's cars" for example. Strange why this sort of thing doesn't happen, and the only 'high profile campaign' where thousands are spent on signs etc, and whole towns are 'surrounded' by policemen and women seems to be the road safety one. Why, I wonder.....
Perhaps if we were to be getting more Police officers on the streets rather than less, thieves would be less likely to attack?
The Renegade Master
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12:21pm Thu 6 Dec 12
Javier Prigmoretti
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12:31pm Thu 6 Dec 12
John T
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12:36pm Thu 6 Dec 12
A large proportion of this huge increased rate of thefts in Poole is probably down to just a few individuals.
Perhaps the Echo's investigative reporters could find out the precise incidence of these thefts and reveal the pattern that is emerging.
jeebuscripes
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12:36pm Thu 6 Dec 12
nice idea, also smear dog mess all over the door handles.
Who's laughing now?
Humf
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1:15pm Thu 6 Dec 12
Or bored with the job already ?!
Pablo23
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1:36pm Thu 6 Dec 12
Thieves would think twice if they thought they might get electrocuted, gassed or shot by an automatic tranquilizer dart the moment they broke into a car.
speedy231278
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2:20pm Thu 6 Dec 12
EscapefromBournemouth
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2:26pm Thu 6 Dec 12
hadvar
says...
2:36pm Thu 6 Dec 12
EscapefromBournemoutA little bit 'Les Dawson' but you get a tick and perhaps a B- for the above...
h wrote:
I remember last Christmas, it was so tragic for us. We had been shopping in Poole and left the mother-in-law in the car as she was so exhausted from talking! When we got back to the car I could see the rear offside window had been smashed and my mother-in-law had gone! I looked around and a huge struggle ensued as I made a grab for my wife's mobile phone as she tried to call 999 to report it. The window cost me my £60 excess but it was the best Christmas ever. Remember what may be of no value to you will be of value to someone else!
BIGTONE
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2:59pm Thu 6 Dec 12
http://youtu.be/fDrz
MGdYWZc
A Lofty
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3:37pm Thu 6 Dec 12
rotcoddam
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4:48pm Thu 6 Dec 12
muscliffman
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5:17pm Thu 6 Dec 12
Firstly this publicity targets completely the wrong side of the matter. 'Lock it ot loose it' suggests it is more than partly our own fault that some low-life nicks our property.
Secondly, as is so frequent in these public-sector initiatives, common sense is sadly lacking. If a thief wants items in your car the technicality of the vehicle being locked is of little importance . Do you know how easily toughened glass can be smashed? The crooks certainly do - and the Echo kindly illustrates one method for all to see!.
Leave the law abiding alone, nobody should be taking their belongings in the first place. Think things through properly and then go after the crooks instead please.
paul.p
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5:53pm Thu 6 Dec 12
A Lofty
says...
5:59pm Thu 6 Dec 12
rotcoddam
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11:46pm Thu 6 Dec 12
rotcoddam
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11:46pm Thu 6 Dec 12
muscliffman
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12:12am Fri 7 Dec 12
rotcoddam wrote:Cannot quite agree with you.
I never said they where an invention of the police. I assume the police wanted these wastes of space even less than the 90% of voters who made their oponions known by refusing to endorse any of them. They where yet another cash wasting enterprise by a govenment bankrupt of any worthwhile concepts or solutions.
I think the basic PCC principle had some merit, but as is usual with out of touch Dave's co-Government it was introduced incompetently. A combination of reasons caused by this failing then deterred would/should be voters.
I fear that our own PCC and most of his fellows will find quite quickly that through no real fault of their own they are without credibility and thus quite ineffectual.
A wasted expensive opportunity.
Morrigan
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7:16am Fri 7 Dec 12
fantasanta
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8:09am Fri 7 Dec 12
Morrigan wrote:what utter rubbish , how many police 'on the beat' would we require ? one in every street maybe . most thieves have the basic intelligence to actually wait until there isnt a police office around before breaking into your car or house -this has long since been seen as a wasted exercise , police respond to incidents as they are reported and according to priority ,it would be rare to see a crime being committed ,the police cant be everywhere so the advice is good , be your own policeman ,lock it or lose it
Perhaps if the Police spent more time on the beat, instead of marking Christmas trees with smart water for a private business there would be less break-ins of all kinds - domestic or cars :o/
the Echo photo shows nothing as a method of breaking into cars , almost without exception these days cars have internally sheilded door locking mechanisms and on many deadlocks that mean you can open the doors even if ou break the glass and use the internal handle . your car window is a thiefs shop window so if you display your goodies in it they will go missing
fantasanta
says...
8:13am Fri 7 Dec 12
fantasanta wrote:excuse my typo - should have read 'cant open the doors ..... '
Morrigan wrote:what utter rubbish , how many police 'on the beat' would we require ? one in every street maybe . most thieves have the basic intelligence to actually wait until there isnt a police office around before breaking into your car or house -this has long since been seen as a wasted exercise , police respond to incidents as they are reported and according to priority ,it would be rare to see a crime being committed ,the police cant be everywhere so the advice is good , be your own policeman ,lock it or lose it
Perhaps if the Police spent more time on the beat, instead of marking Christmas trees with smart water for a private business there would be less break-ins of all kinds - domestic or cars :o/
the Echo photo shows nothing as a method of breaking into cars , almost without exception these days cars have internally sheilded door locking mechanisms and on many deadlocks that mean you can open the doors even if ou break the glass and use the internal handle . your car window is a thiefs shop window so if you display your goodies in it they will go missing
mysticalshoelace says...
9:01am Thu 6 Dec 12