Officers in Gosport are issuing crime prevention advice after seven reports of theft from and eight reports of theft of motor vehicles in the town which have been made to us since Friday, September 16.
We are trying to establish whether any of the incidents are linked, the items stolen from vehicles appear to have been taken from cars and vans . However the vehicles stolen all appear to be motorbikes or mopeds, some have subsequently been found burnt out. The vehicles have been taken from addresses including Bridgemary Road and Nobes Avenue over the weekend.
Officers would like to take this opportunity to remind people of the following crime prevention advice:
Motorbikes
• Always lock your bike and set its alarm if it has one.
• Try to use a designated motorcycle parking place with a stand and security loop.
• When leaving your bike for some time, try to lock it to something secure. At home, you can fit special attachments to lock your bike to.
• Don’t leave items such as helmets or other possessions with your bike.
Preventing scooter/moped thefts
• Park in safe areas where there are lots of passers-by and onlookers who will see if anyone is tampering with your scooter.
• Never leave anything, including your helmet, unsecured and on display.
• Have an alarm and immobiliser fitted – it is almost certainly worth the investment.
Thefts from vehicles
• Don’t leave anything in your car – if it’s not there, then it can’t be stolen.
• Choose a stereo that can be removed and make sure you take it with you! You should also mark it with your registration number or postcode, in case it’s stolen.
• Thieves aren’t picky, so don’t leave even low-value items in your car. Often thieves will smash and grab first and look later to see if what they’ve stolen is valuable.
• Don’t hide it – if you hide items under the seat or in the glove box, chances are someone will have watched you. If you cannot avoid leaving something in your car, put it in your boot before you begin your journey.
• Don’t leave valuables in your car even for a minute – it only takes a thief a few seconds to smash a window and get what they want, so don’t take the chance.
• Your car isn’t safe to be left unlocked on your driveway – nearly half of all incidents where items are stolen from cars happen when they are parked overnight, close to the owner’s home.
• Don’t leave your house keys or anything with your address on it in your vehicle – someone could steal your keys and then let themselves into your home.
Sat Navs
• If it’s portable, take the sat nav with you together with the support cradle and suction pads.
• Wipe away any marks left by the suction pads as thieves will look out for these.
• Don’t leave your equipment in the glove compartment – thieves usually check here first.
Securing Cars
• Always secure your car.
• Always lock your car and wind your windows up, even if you are just posting a letter or going into a petrol station.
• If you are stationary in traffic, keep your doors locked and don’t wind your windows too far down – someone could reach in and try to grab something off your passenger seat.
• Use a steering wheel lock every time you leave your car – it makes life more difficult for the thief and therefore your car a less tempting target.
• Get a car alarm – they not only deter a thief from stealing the car, but also from stealing items from inside it. Have it fitted by a professional.
• Immobilisers stop the engine from starting if the car is being stolen and they are the best way to stop thieves. Having an immobiliser is a good idea if you have an expensive car, and it might help to reduce your insurance premiums.