Useful tips preventing burglaries and auto thefts, especially as the holiday season approaches – Union City Police department
If you are at a shopping mall and plan on putting items in your trunk and returning to the store, it is a good practice to get in your car and move to another parking area. Many thieves during the holiday will watch for people putting items in their trunk or concealing them in the passenger compartment. They break in when you leave the car.
- There is no “safe time frame” to be gone from your car while your stuff is out in plain view. A practiced thief can get out of their vehicle, break your window, grab your stuff, and be back in the getaway car in less than 10 seconds. UCPD officers recently caught a man and woman who broke into numerous cars at the Starbucks at Union Landing. Each victim left items on the seat or center console because they were just running in to grab a cup of coffee.
- Ideally, you never want to leave a laptop, tablet, or cellphone in your vehicle, but if you do, make sure the Bluetooth feature is turned off. There are actually apps that can be downloaded for free that find nearby Bluetooth signals. Thieves are driving around parking lots pinpointing vehicles that are giving off a strong Bluetooth signal and targeting those vehicles.
- Never leave something out in plain view because you think it has nothing of value in it. I’ve read so many police reports of someone getting their gym bag stolen from their car. Your gym bag full of nothing of significant value is definitely not worth getting your window smashed.
Source: Tri-City Police Sound Alarm On Auto Burglaries, Thefts – Union City, CA Patch