Jun 12, 2015
Just last week there were 5 vehicles stolen in the Albany area. Make sure you are taking every precaution so that your vehicle is not stolen.
- Your doors should always be locked, even when driving.
- Never leave your keys behind in the car after you have parked it. Convenience is not worth the time and money of a stolen car.
- Do not walk away from your car while it is still running.
- Put all valuables in the glove compartment or the trunk so they can’t be seen by someone walking by your car.
- Don’t leave your title in the car. If you do, hide it in a place where only you know where it is.
- Know your destination and how to get there, avoid traveling through high crime areas.
- Have an anti-theft system installed in your vehicle.
- Thieves are more active once the sun goes down so make sure you are keeping your car in a well-lit place at night.
- Be aware of your surroundings especially when in areas like parking lots, parking garages and gas stations.
- Etch your VIN number into the windows, thieves will not want to take a car if they have to replace all the windows.
- If parked on an incline, make sure the car is in park or if it is kept in gear, turn the wheels towards to curb so it cannot be towed.
- If you do have the misfortune of being approached by a carjacker, do not fight them, do not resist them. Cars can be replaced, you can’t.
There are three types of carjackers to look out for-
- Professionals: these people know what they are doing. They are looking for high-performance cars as well as a common car that will have cheap parts to replace. They will most likely bring any stolen cars to chop shops or they may even export it to a different country. The chances of recovering it once stolen is not very high.
- Joy-Riders: these ones are looking for the more luxury, high-performance car. They are commonly recovered but many times they have a lot of damage to them.
- Bump and Rob- If someone rear ends you, make sure you take your keys out of the ignition before getting out to check for damage. Thieves will sometimes tap your car on purpose so they can hop in your driver’s seat and drive away while your standing outside the vehicle investigating the damage.
The current incidents occurred in Rotterdam, NY where every victim admitted to leaving their keys in their car while it was parked. Car theft is a real thing so make sure to always keep these tips in mind if you possess a car.
