Staffordshire Police

Car defrosting warning - beware of thieves

Police are reminding people not to leave their cars unattended on the drive while defrosting them following the cold weather across Staffordshire this morning.

Seasonally, between October and March there is an upsurge in theft of motor vehicles from driveways.

Simple crime prevention measures to protect vehicles include:

• ensure your vehicle is securely locked, including passenger doors and sun roof, and that alarms or immobilisers are switched on
• remove all belongings from the vehicle – even a bag of rubbish could convince a thief there is something worth stealing
• take your sat nav with you remembering to remove the cradle and wipe any sucker marks off the dashboard or windscreen. Leaving the cradle in place tells the crooks that the sat nav might be in the glove box or boot
• park in a garage if you have one or park under street lights if possible
• remove work equipment from your vehicle
• keep your car keys in a safe place so if someone breaks into your home they cannot steal your vehicle as well.