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Police warn motorists about risk of thefts

17/08/07

Car insurance customers have been warned that they could find their possessions are at risk if they leave them unattended in their vehicles.

Tayside police claimed that thieves are increasingly targeting satellite navigation (sat nav) equipment, mobile phones, stereos and laptops from parked vehicles.

Colin Brough, divisional crime prevention officer, said that there has been a rise in the number of sat nav thefts, often because they are fitted to dashboards and are clearly visible.

Motorists can reduce the risk of theft by ensuring that they remove the system and its fittings when they leave their car, making sure they wipe any suction marks on the windscreen left by the mounting bracket, Mr Brough advised.

"There are also a number of in-car safes, which fit under seats or in the boot available from about £40. They can be used to store sat navs, face-off stereo fascias, phones, sunglasses, paperwork etc. The larger ones can even take a laptop," he remarked.

Drivers should also consider marking the device with their address or registration to assist the police in returning any recovered devices in the event of them being stolen, he added.

Last month, Gwent police launched a campaign aimed at catching thieves breaking into cars by installing cameras in parked vehicles.

As part of the force's efforts to tackle the problem, officers also provided motorists with 'wipe and clear' kits to enable them to remove any marks left by a sat nav device on their windscreen.

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