Timely reminders to protect your vehicle from criminals

With the darker nights here, there could be more opportunities for vehicle thieves in the hours of darkness.

We can often see car thieves and car key burglars using the cover of night to carry out their crimes, but a few small steps can help stop them in their tracks.

By taking a few crime prevention measures motorists can help prevent themselves from being a victim of crime.

West Mercia Police is committed to tackling vehicle crime and has the following advice to protect your cars, motorbikes and vans from being stolen: -

Do you have a security light/doorbell camera?

• Having a security light gives you an extra layer of protection. Security lights give the impression someone is in and removes the element of darkness.

• Installing a doorbell camera or security camera on your driveway can help to deter criminals too and many products are much less expensive than you may think.

 Lock your windows

• Make sure your windows are securely locked. As with your doors, check that your window locks are of a good standard to prevent car key burglars.

Get a steering wheel disc lock

• Steering wheel disc locks are a good deterrent to would-be thieves as they delay the amount of time it takes to steal a vehicle.

If possible, secure your vehicle out of sight in a garage

• If you have a garage, parking your vehicle out of sight in there with a securely locked door keeps it out of sight of criminals and much harder to steal.

Put your keys in a ‘Faraday’ pouch

• Place your keyless entry fobs in a “Faraday pouch” to prevent relay theft where thieves boost the signal from the car to the key fob to gain access.

 Install a tracker to your vehicle

• Fitting a GPS tracker to your car will enable its location to be tracked by police. Your insurance company can advise you on suitable products.

 Fit a foldable bollard to your driveway

• This may be a more expensive option, but it is a wise investment to prevent vehicles being driven off, particularly if you have a high value one on your driveway.

Remember thieves can often look to target owners of high value and/or high-performance vehicles, any crime prevention measures taken can help reduce the chances of being targeted.

You can find more information on our website about vehicle crime prevention including police recommended products at this link Keeping vehicles safe | Crime prevention | West Mercia Police .

• If your vehicle is in the process of being stolen, please do not put yourself at risk and challenge the thieves, call 999 and inform police. Give as much detail as you can about the offenders and any other vehicles they are with.
• If you find your vehicle has been stolen, then call police on 101 or create a report online on our website here Report a crime | West Mercia Police. 

JI, Corporate Communications