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Tips for keeping
your car safe
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Tip #1 Park your car in your garage or
behind a locked gate. This is your all-time best defense. Reason: Most cars are stolen off the street or parking areas. Putting your car into a garage not only saves the finish, but tends to deter auto thieves. They risk detection by dogs, motion sensors, etc., by coming on the property. Locked garages and gates create another level of difficulty for the car thief who intends to quietly sneak in and steal. If you don’t lock the gate, at least put a bell or other noise-making device on it. Tips on how to better secure your garage.
Tip #2 Park in your driveway
Reason: Although not as effective as putting your car in the garage, the driveway can also serve as a deterrent. As does parking a second -- not as appealing --car behind the "top 10" vehicle. Again, motion detectors, gates, dogs and alarms serve as early detection systems and deterrents. In addition, the alarm on a car in the driveway is also less likely to be accidentally tripped by traffic or passersby. So if you hear it, you *know* something is wrong. It is important to realize that car thieves aren't after *your* car. They could care less who it belongs to. They are usually more interested in getting a particular make and model. And anyone's will do. If one is too difficult to get, they can always get another, just down the road.
Tip #3 Install an car alarm -- especially
if it's in an apartment parking lot (or on the street) .
Reason: They drive through and find the cars they are looking for. Often, while stealing one car, they will spot another model they want and come back for it later. Why go shopping elsewhere? This is especially true if there is no security guard who patrols the premises. An auto alarm won't stop thieves, but it might alert someone. The witness who looks out the window sees someone jump into a car and another car speeds away before the first car's alarm cuts off, realizes that something is seriously wrong. He, or she, might even go so far as to wake up the rent-a-cop who is supposed to be patrolling the grounds. If your neighbors know it is your car, and he/she sees someone else jumping in and speeding away, a knock on your door lessens the time before the police are notified. Thereby increasing the chances of recovery. Whether or not an alarm does any good to deter a car thief might be a debatable issue. What is not debatable is the fact that it can lower your comprehensive insurance rates.
Tip #4 Better yet, get a Lojack/Onstar type
of service. Reason: Automobile security / tracking devices are good for fast car recovery. By using a GDS based system the computer can locate your stolen car anytime and anywhere. The debate is label it or not. The argument for labeling it is that it will deter many would-be thieves. The argument against it is that many automobile thieves know how to disable these units -- especially if you have a specialty vehicle that would attract a professional. A professional car thief keeps up on the technology and knows how to circumvent it. By not labeling your window, the auto thief won't know beforehand that he has to disable the system. They also can be used to track the thieves to the "chop shop." So don't be surprised if the police ask you to participate in a sting operation by leaving your car in the "cooling off spot" (that's the place where it was parked by the thief until it goes off the "hot sheet") If there is a major automobile stealing ring operating in the area, waiting for the car thief to return and then following him to the "chop shop" is one way for police to break it up -- if informants haven't been panning out. This, too, is a good way to lower your insurance rates.
Tip #5 NEVER leave your car running and
unattended. Reason: If you were walking down the street and saw a $100 bill would you pick it up? To a criminal, this is literally the same thing. A running car is an opportunity that just falls in his lap. He will take it, even if he is not by profession an automobile thief. This also applies to "warming up your car" in colder climates, which is called "puffing" by criminals. Although many automobile thefts occur at night, jumping into and driving away a puffing car is just as common in colder climates
Tip #6 Get theft insurance with new or
expensive cars. Reason: Cars are most often stolen for parts. The vehicle is generally chopped up and sold to shady body shops. The shop pays $1,000 for a stolen part that the manufacturer would charge $5,000 for. The shop then turns around and charges you the dealer price plus their markup. By doing this, the shop made an additional $4,000 profit. The risk of theft lasts until enough of the car model become available in the junkyards -- where parts can be legally purchased for a reduced price. When considering buying a new car, check to see if it has a high theft record. If yes, then insure it against theft. Once a car is taken to a "chop shop," it is gone. A car can be totally disassembled within an hour by a four-man team in a well equipped "chop shop." And in this business, an hour would be a pathetically slow time.
Motorcycles Reason: The fastest and quietest way to steal a motorcycle is to pull up in a truck, have a few guys jump out, simply pick it up and put it into the truck. Because motorcycles can be easily picked up, it is better to put them inside a secured garage -- even if this means buying a storage shed.
Tip #8 When you park it for the night,
chain it. Reason: While many motorcycle thefts do occur from commercial parking lots, most motorcycles are stolen from garages and apartment parking lots. Chain it up if the motorcycle is going to sit for any length of time in such an area.
Tip #9 Chain your bike to something
Reason: By chaining your bike to something i.e. cemented anchor, concrete reinforced pole, etc., you prevent it from being picked up and carried away. By snaking the cable through wheel, frame and around something, nobody is going to get it by simply taking off the front wheel. The reason those U shaped, front wheel locks don't prevent your motorcycle from being stolen is that, when the motorcycle thieves pick it up and carry it to the truck, the wheels don't roll
Tip #10 Don't use combination locks or
chains Reason: Although expensive, when you are protecting a $15,000 to $20,000 motorcycle, they are well worth the investment. Whether protecting a motorcycle or a bicycle from theft avoid combination locks, stick with keyed locks. Combination locks - especially those long three tumbler units that retail for about $10 -- are easy to pick. In fact, sitting around and learning how to pick locks is often a juvenile pastime. Key locks are much harder to pick. Also go for case-hardened, encased cable instead of chains. For motorcycles, you might also want to look into what is called Cobra which are articulated case-hardened units. They use a circular ballbearing locking system which is one of the most difficult type locks to pick (that's why you see them on vending machines).
Bicycles Reason: Stealing bicycles is usually a crime of opportunity. A kid walking down the street sees a bike just lying there, grabs it and rides off.
Tip #12 Take it inside. Reason: Even though bike thieves tend not to be professionals, they often are young enough to be bold. They will come onto your property and even onto your porch to steal. It's just all around better to leave your bike inside if you want it to be there the next morning. If room is an issue, there are many storage units that allow you to hang your bike up high.
Tip #13 Chain it to something Reason: Use porch pole, guard rail, exposed water or sewer lines, fence pole, anything that cannot be moved or easily cut through. This does wonders to keep yours from joining the long list of stolen bicycles. Don't use chains and cheap locks. Make sure that the cable snakes through the body, the front wheel and around to whatever you are chaining it to. If your chain isn't that long, get one that is. The shorter one is useless.
Trailers and other heavy-equipment theft. Reason: Before thieves can reach the trailer, they have to get through other deterrents.
Tip # 15 Secure it to an anchor or use wheel locks. Reason: In long term storage, you can either attach it to an anchor embedded in concrete or lock the wheels so they don't roll.
Tip #16 Put a motion sensor in it. Reason: These units are often put on doors so that when the door is opened they go off. By hanging them from a boat's steering wheel before covering it for the night you protect it from the weather and from being seen by boat thief. |