POLICE are warning people not to leave anything of value in their cars after a number of reports of property theft over the past few weeks.
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Among reports made to police are wallets taken from unlocked cars, loose change in consoles and tools from the back of utes.
Chief Inspector Glenn Cogdell from Bathurst Police Station said police are appealing to people to not only secure their vehicles, but also not to leave items of value inside them.
"We really want to remind people to make sure they are locking their cars as they leave them, and make sure there are no valuables left behind.
"It doesn't matter what location they are in, whether they are down the street or parked at a reserve, if they leave items of value inside a car they are at risk of having someone take it."
He said people need to reduce this risk by actively securing their car and removing valuables, adding property theft is a crime of opportunity.
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"Don't make it easy for these people who want to take your stuff.
"People are taking advantage of the fact that people are not securing their property," he said.
Just last month, police revived their 'Lock it or Lose it' campaign in the Chifley Police District, after state-wide statistics revealed eight out of 10 homes which are broken into have either their doors or windows unlocked, and eight out of 10 cars are stolen using the owner's keys.
Likewise, the latest crime stats released last month revealed stealing from a motor vehicle was the crime category with the biggest increase, with 133 thefts reported in the 12 months leading up to December 2020 compared with 284 the following year.
Chief Inspector Cogdell said people can go to the NSW Police website for suggestions and advice - which, among other things, suggests people secure their property and, if possible, install CCTV and recording equipment as a cost-effective preventative measure and powerful investigative tool.
Other tips include:
- Keep a detailed and up-to-date property inventory. Be sure to record any serial numbers and/or identifying markers or unique characteristics of the property.
- Ensure trees and shrubs can't be used as hiding places, security lights cover main areas around premises, fences are sturdy and gates have keylocks.
- Make sure sheds or external storage areas have keylocks and make sure your tools, gardening equipment and ladders are locked away.
- Secure your letter boxes and adopt safer methods of parcel delivery.
- Ensure vehicles are always locked, no items of value are left in vehicles (or are not visible if they must be), garage remotes are secured or removed from the vehicle.
- Stop car thefts before they happen. Don't leave garage remotes in your car - try keeping it on your keyring instead so you can keep an eye on it at all times.
- Store car keys out of view from external doors and windows, and don't leave your keys in obvious places such as key hooks or in a bowl near the door.
- Keep an eye on your neighbour's house if they are away.
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