Rise In Thefts From Cars In Portsmouth
18 December 2013, 12:32 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
Police are reminding drivers to take crime prevention precautions when leaving their cars parked in Portsmouth.
The city’s local Safer Neighbourhoods teams are responding to a rise in reports, particularly in and around the car parks at or near sports centres. At least 20 reports have been received by police since October this year.
Extra patrols and beat surgeries are taking place in Portsmouth to help reinforce awareness of key crime prevention advice:
- Always secure your car, and don't leave anything in your car - if it's not there, then it can't be 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.
- If it's portable, take the sat nav with you together with the support cradle and suction pads, and 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.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Safer Neighbourhoods team at Fratton Police Station by phoning 101 or call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on the number shown below. Minicom TextRelay users can call 18001 101.
