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Auto Theft Prevention

Auto theft is a problem for all Americans, but the citizens of New Mexico face
a particular issue that afects our auto theftrate. Due to the fact that we are
adjacent to an International Border, we are alwas ran!ed hi"h on the list for
theft rates. #picall, $ehicles are stolen for one of three reasons. #he are
used to jo ride, sell for parts, or dri$en across the border for resale. %owe$er,
ou can ta!e a $ariet of steps to insure that ou are not a $ictim of auto
theft. &bser$e the followin" tips to reduce the chances of our $ehicle from
bein" stolen.
'(oc! our car and ta!e our !es with ou e$en when par!ed in our
dri$ewa.
'Do not hide a spare !e on the $ehicle
'Motion'sensor li"hts mounted o$er the "ara"e will discoura"e thie$es and
alert ou to the 'presence of unwanted )$isitors) at ni"ht. In side our home,
these de$ices can e$en be wired to set of an audio alarm.
'*ar! in a well'li"hted area, close to a corner with foot'tra+c. #o ma!e our
$ehicle more easil $isible, bac! into the par!in" space, and, if possible par!
at the end of the row and toward the li"ht source
',oll up the windows completel.
',emo$e !es from i"nition.
'A$oid lea$in" a $ehicle par!ed unattended in a public par!in" lot for a lon"
time.
'-hen par!in" in attended lots or par!in" "ara"es, lea$e onl the i"nition !e
with the attendant. '&lder'model $ehicle !es and other attached !es could
be duplicated.
'Ma!e sure the attendant or $alet is actuall the authorized attendant. Ne$er
ha$e a ta" with our name.address on the !erin".
'Alwas par! with the wheels turned toward the curb and appl the
emer"enc bra!e. #his will pre$ent towin".
'*lace $aluables out of si"ht.
'If ou ha$e a "ara"e, use it. /ehicles are least safe par!ed at the curb, more
safe in the dri$ewa and most safe in the "ara"e.
'(oc! our "ara"e door.
'Do not lea$e our car runnin" while it is unattended.
'Bac! our car into the dri$ewa. If ou dri$e forward into the dri$ewa, a car
thief could raise the hood to hot wire the car, and it would appear to the
nei"hbors that ou were just wor!in" on the car.
'Do not lea$e the car title in the $ehicle. Doin" so ma!es it eas for the thief
to sell the car.
0tch /IN number on windshields, and write it in craon under the hood and
trun!. Also, print the /IN on some business cards and hide in a few locations
in the unit1 down door panels and behind seats.
VIC Cards
#he A*D 2rime *re$ention 3nit has /ehicle Information 2ards 4/.I.2.5 that are
a$ailable to the public. #hese cards are for ou to record information about
our $ehicle includin" the ear, ma!e, model, color4s5, identifin" mar!s,
license plate number and state, /IN, who the re"istered owner is, the
insurance co$ailable to the public. #hese cards are for ou to record
information about our $ehicle includin" the ear, ma!e, model, color4s5,
identifin" mar!s, license plate number and state, /IN, who the re"istered
owner is, the insurance compan and the polic number.
2ontact the 2rime *re$ention 3nit at 678'9:;; to obtain these cards for each
of our $ehicles. 2rime pre$ention specialists su""est that each member of
the famil who is licensed to dri$e, carr on their person a completed card for
each famil $ehicle. #he purpose of the card is so an $ictim of a $ehicle theft
or carjac!in" who carries a card can report $ital identi<cation information on
the $ehicle as =uic!l as possible, without waitin" for an o+cer to arri$e to
ta!e a report.
/.I.2. cards are not le"al documents and should not be accepted for personal
identi<cation or le"al transactions in$ol$in" motor $ehicles.
A*D hopes that e$entuall e$er motor'$ehicle owner in the metropolitan area
will !eep and use the /.I.2. cards to assist law enforcement in trac!in" and
returnin" stolen $ehicles before the permanentl disappear, are dama"ed, or
are used in the commission of another crime.
>ree /.I.2. cards are a$ailable at each A*D substation, and will be distributed
b A*D sworn and ci$ilian personnel, or call 678'9:;; to recei$e cards b
mail.
2ards in limited amounts are a$ailable to clubs, businesses and or"anizations.
%owe$er, businesses and other "roups wantin" lar"e amounts should arran"e
to order and pa for them on their own throu"h ,ichard?s *rintin", @A6 Ban
Mateo N0.
Theft Prevention Devices
After ears of false alarms, people ha$e stopped pain" attention to alarms.
An serious anti'theft de$ice must do more than just ma!e noise. If ou want
an audio alarmC use it in conjunction with other forms of pre$ention.
#he lon"er it ta!es to steal a car, the more attention a thief will attract. (oo!
for de$ices that are1 hi"hl $isible, hard to defeat, and will pre$ent the car
from startin" or will !ill the en"ine shortl after it is stolen. #o pre$ent )hot'
wirin",) protect the steerin" column.
'A !ill switch is a simple to""le de$ice that shuts of the en"ine?s i"nition
sstem.
'Bteerin" wheel loc!s are $isible from outside the car and pre$ent the
steerin" wheel from bein" turned more than a few de"rees.
'2ollars are de$ices that pre$ent the steerin" column from bein" stripped.
'Bra!e loc!s pre$ent the bra!e from bein" en"a"ed and therefore the
transmission cannot be remo$ed from the par! position.
'-heel loc!s pre$ent the $ehicle from bein" mo$ed in an direction.
'tchin" $ehicle parts with our /IN number can also be a deterrent.
*rofessional thie$es sh awa from $ehicles that ha$e had the $ehicle
identi<cation number 4/IN5 etched into the doors, windows, windshield,
en"ine bloc!, and other parts.
More than 7.9 of all auto thefts ta!e place at ni"ht, and o$er half occur in
residential areas includin" apartment complexes. C Btatisticall, most cars are
stolen between the hours or A1;; a.m. and D1;; a.m. #here is a pro"ram in
New Mexico that will help ou retrie$e our car if it is stolen. #he New Mexico
Btate *olice has de$eloped a pro"ram called -atch Eour 2ar. &nce re"istered,
the pro"ram allows an enforcement personnel to pull o$er a $ehicle with the
appropriate stic!er between those hours to $erif ownership. It also allows
them to stop the $ehicle if it approaches an international border 78 hours a
da. If ou are interested in <ndin" out more about the pro"ram, contact our
local NM Btate *olice o+ce for further details.
#he "oal in pre$entin" auto theft is to establish multiple laers of protection
for ou $ehicle. #hie$es are loo!in" for the least path of resistance. Althou"h
no method is foolproof, consider where ou par!, theft pre$ention de$ices,
and etchin". %owe$er, spendin" mone on anti'theft de$ices does not help if
dri$ers don?t follow the basic precaution of loc!in" their cars, ta!in" the !e,
and acti$atin" the anti'theft de$ice.
Auto Theft Prevention Tips
#a!in" precautionar measures can minimize our chances of becomin"
the $ictim of auto theft.
In the 3nited Btates a $ehicle is stolen an a$era"e of e$er 7A minutes.
Not onl does auto theft costs the $ictim time and mone, but it cost
societ, because it dri$es insurance premiums up and man times stolen
$ehicles are used to commit other crimes.
2ar thefts seem to occur with "reater fre=uenc where lar"e "roups of
cars are par!ed for extended periods of time in places such as shoppin"
centers, colle"es, sportin" e$ents, mo$ie
complexes, and lar"e apartment complexes, accordin" to the (os An"eles
*olice Department. 2ar thefts can occur antime '' at random on diferent
das of the wee! and times of the da, dependin" on the locations.
Below are some tips ou can use to a$oid bein" the $ictim of a car thief1
Ne$er lea$e our car runnin" unattended, e$en to dash into a business,
store, etc.C
Ne$er lea$e an !es in the car or i"nition, inside a loc!ed "ara"e, or in
hide'a'!e boxesC
'Alwas roll up our windows and loc! the car, e$en if it is par!ed in front
of our homeC
Ne$er lea$e $aluables in plain $iew, e$en if our car is loc!ed. *ut them in
the trun! out of si"htC
'Alwas par! in hi"h'tra+c, well'li"hted areas, when possibleC
'Install a mechanical de$ice that loc!s the steerin" wheel, column, or
bra!es. #hese de$ices will deter some criminalsC
'In$esti"ate the purchase of a $ehicle theft trac!in".securit sstem,
especiall if ou own one of the fre=uentl stolen model $ehiclesC
'Ne$er lea$e personal identi<cation documents, $ehicle ownership title, or
credit cards in our $ehicleC
'If ou must lea$e our !e with a $alet, attendant, or mechanic lea$e onl
the i"nition !e. 'Ma!e sure ou are dealin" with a reputable <rm.
'In hi"h theft areas the /ehicle Identi<cation Number 4/IN5 should be
etched on windows, doors, fenders and trun! lid. #his ma!es it di+cult for
a thief to mar!et our stolen car parts.
'2op our license plate and $ehicle information 4/IN5 numbers on a card
and !eep them with ou. If our $ehicle is stolen, the police will need this
information to ta!e a reportC and,
'Man $ehicles toda come with some tpe of securit sstem from the
factor. Normall there are up"raded sstems a$ailable if ou as!. #he
best choice are sstems that shut of the fuel suppl so that a car can?t be
started or dri$en.
'If our $ehicle is stolen, report it to the police immediatel.
http1..crime.about.com.od.pre$ent.=t.pre$entionFauto.htm
Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Recommendations
'(oc! it and poc!et the !es. Nearl 7;G of all $ehicles stolen had the
!es in them. ',emember to loc! the trun!, the hatchbac! or the tail"ate
of a station wa"on or sport utilit $ehicle 4B3/5
'If our motor $ehicle is an older model, replace standard door loc!
buttons with tapered ones. #hese replacements are inexpensi$e and
much more di+cult to pr up.
'DonHt lea$e motor $ehicle re"istration, insurance policies, credit cards or
other important papers in a $ehicleHs "lo$e compartment.
'If ou use a self'ser$ice "asoline stations or con$enience stores, donHt
lea$e the !es in the $ehicle when ou "o inside to pa our bill.
'DonHt place a mini'replica of a license plate or personal identi<cation on a
$ehicleHs !e rin".
'2onsider installin" safet securit <lm on the windows. -ith the <lm
added to the "lass, the window will be 9;;G to 8;;G stron"er. Intruders
must cut their wa throu"h the "lass, thus ta!in" more time. #he safet
<lm is clear and reIects up to 6JG of the sunHs ultra$iolet ras.
'Ne$er hide a second set of !es in the $ehicle. 0xtra !es can easil be
found if the thief ta!es time to loo!. Btore a spare !e in our wallet.
'If possible, a$oid par!in" next to $ans, pic!'ups, and other lar"e $ehicles.
#hese lar"e $ehicles can KhideL our $ehicle and ma!e it more di+cult for
others to obser$e.
'-hen par!in" alon" a curb, an"le the front wheels sharpl to the left or
ri"ht, ma!in" it di+cult for the thief to tow it awa. -heels should also be
turned to the side in dri$ewas and par!in" lots.
'If our $ehicle is rear'wheel dri$e, bac! into our dri$ewa. ,ear wheels
loc! on four'wheel dri$e $ehicles, ma!in" them di+cult to tow. >ront'wheel
dri$e $ehicles should be par!ed front end <rst.
'*eriodicall chec! our license plates to ma!e sure the ha$enHt been
stolen, switched or altered.
'Moin &peration Identi<cation and en"ra$e our dri$erHs license number or
social securit number in se$eral concealed places on, or in our motor
$ehicle. Drop a business card into the window channel, beneath the seat
or behind the dash panel.
'0n"ra$e batteries, wheel co$ers and car stereos with either our dri$ers
license number or social securit number preceded b our stateHs initials.
'DonHt in$ite a $ehicle brea!'in b lea$in" pac!a"es or $aluables 4radar
detectors, cellular phones, compact disc plaers, etc.5 in si"ht. #a!e
$aluables with ou, put them under the seat or loc! them in the trun!.
'-hene$er possible, par! in well li"hted and bus areas.
'-hene$er possible, par! in an attended lot. Motor $ehicle thie$es do not
li!e witnesses and prefer unattended par!in" lots.
'-hen ou par! in an attended lot, lea$e onl the i"nition.door !e. If our
trun! and "lo$ebox use the same !e as the door, ha$e one of them
chan"ed. (ea$in" the i"nition !e with the attendant, retain all others and
be sure the !e number does not appear on the !e that is left.
'A$oid transferrin" items to the trun! of a $ehicle where it is to be par!ed.
A thief ma be watchin". 2hec!boo!s, credit cards or other credentials
which a thief could misuse should not be left in a motor $ehicle.
'*ar! as close as possible to an open business.
'If ou ha$e a "ara"e, use it. (oc! our "ara"e door. Also loc! our
$ehicle doors, e$en when itHs in the "ara"e.
'-hen "oin" out of town and lea$in" our motor $ehicle, if possible,
remo$e the electronic i"nition fuse, rotor distributor or the coil wire.
'If ou see a disabled motor $ehicle, donHt stop. Instead, dri$e to a nearb
telephone and inform the police of the $ehicleHs location.
'If our $ehicle becomes disabled, attach a white hand!erchief to the door
handle or window, loc! the doors and sta inside the $ehicle. If someone
stops to help, do not open our door or window. As! the person to please
"o to a telephone and call for help.
'*ossibl use cane tpe steerin" wheel loc!s. #he metal cane hoo!s
around the bra!e pedal on one end, and around the steerin" wheel rim or
spo!e on the other. #he de$ice is drawn ti"ht and loc!ed with a !e.
'DonHt disconnect the buzzer that warns of !es left in the i"nition. ItHs for
our protection.
'*ossibl use a loc!in" "as cap, not onl to pre$ent theft of "asoline, but
to limit a thief to the amount of dri$in" he can do on one tan!.
'#here are special loc!s made for $arious mar!etable parts of cars.
Batter loc!s or wheel co$er loc!s ma sa$e these items.
'If our $ehicle is not alread e=uipped with one, install an interior hood
release.
'Install diferent loc!s for the door, i"nition and trun!. A thief who mi"ht
obtain our $ehicleHs door !e still wonHt ha$e the i"nition !e.