Don't Let Your Car Be an Invitation to Thieves

Reporter: Ask Bury
Date online: 20 February 2008

Inspector Bryn Williams from the local neighbourhood policing team said: "The recent thefts concentrated on items including satellite navigation equipment. Although we have secured convictions for the offenders responsible for the majority of these incidents, I would urge motorists to take the time to remove all valuables when leaving vehicles unattended.  Just hiding them is not always effective, as thieves know where to look.

"It is also important not to leave tell-tale signs of equipment, such as leads or sucker marks on windscreens.  

"Thieves are happy to take anything at all and there have been recent cases of cars being broken into for CDs, coats and bags containing shopping. Even if you think the items in your car are not worth much money, they should be kept well out of sight.

"In some cases the cost of repairing the car window has been far greater than the cost of the stolen item."  
For extra peace of mind, motorists can register valuable items free of charge on www.immobilise.com, so if they are stolen and later recovered they can easily be identified and returned to the rightful owner.

Councillor Michelle Wiseman Executive Member for Safe Strong and Confident Communities said: "There is a reason that Bury is the safest place to live in Greater Manchester and that is because we are tough on crime. BurySafe will strive to ensure this continues and that our crime rates carry on their downward trend."