Avoid being one of the statistics with advice from the police


Too common a sight in Putney

Have you seen this poster?



You may have seen this in your local car park recently. This is because these areas have seen a high volume of theft from motor vehicle offences, based off an analysis of crime statistics.

Although theft from motor vehicle offences have actually reduced/only marginally increased in the past two months, we are seeing a wide range of items being stolen and wanted to make you aware of how best to protect yourself, your vehicle and your valuables.

Top 3 Tips:

- Don’t leave anything on display in your vehicle. Loose change, phone or sat nav cables, handbags…all of these indicate to someone looking in that there could be items worth stealing in your car. Lock it away in the glovebox, leave it out of sight in the boot, or better yet, take it with you.

- Always lock your car when leaving it. It doesn’t matter if you’ll only be away from your car for a minute: 30 seconds is all it takes for an opportunistic thief to rummage through an open car, take the valuables inside and be gone again. Always double check that the doors have locked and that all the windows are closed.

- If you have a parcel shelf, use it. If there are items you have to store in the boot when leaving your car unattended, cover them over with the shelf to provide a visual and physical barrier between prospective thieves and your belongings.


February 8, 2019