Category: Suffolk Constabulary

Around 150 Haverhill motorists have received a letter and crime reduction advice from Suffolk Police after their vehicles were seen parked with items on display.

Officers in the town have been carrying out hotspot patrols in areas where the number of thefts has been particularly high, as part of an operation to crack down on vehicle crime. Those vehicles seen with items on display have been noted by officers and their details passed to the Crime Reduction Office. Letters have then been sent to the owners advising them of their vulnerability and the simple steps they can take to reduce the chances of their vehicles being targeted.

Inspector Andy Smith says, “I am very disappointed at the high number if vehicles seen by officers with items on display, and equally disappointed that 45 vehicles have been targeted for their contents over the past two months. Simply removing items of value from your vehicle and locking it makes it less attractive for a thief, yet hundreds of drivers in the town are continuing to put their property at risk.

“Criminals will break into your vehicle if they see something worth taking – or even a hint that something worth taking may be hidden. If you leave your mobile phone charger plugged in, the thief will go looking for the handset. If there’s a mark left on the windscreen after you removed your sat nav cradle, the thief will wonder if the unit’s in the glove compartment or boot. If there’s a coat on the back seat, the thief will think there might be a wallet in the pocket or something hidden underneath. But if there’s nothing on display and the car is secure, the criminal is less likely to target your vehicle.

“£6,000 worth of property has been stolen from vehicles in the past two months, and the same value in damage has been caused. But the impact on the victims will have been much greater – time spent calling insurance companies and garages for repair, and time spent having the repairs done. Time and money spent replacing stolen items, and on hire cars or other means of transport. The inconvenience you could face, just because you didn’t lock your car door or left your stereo fascia or
some loose change in the vehicle, could be worth more than the damage or items taken.”

If you cannot remove property from your car, lock it in the boot, and park your vehicle in a garage if you can or a well-lit, public place. Make sure your property is marked – the Safer Neighbourhood Team will be holding a number of car crime clinics across Haverhill over the summer, to postcode mark items and give out advice.

Items with serial numbers, like mobile phones, sat navs and stereos, can be registered with Immobilise (www.immobilise.com). This national database is used by most police forces, including Suffolk - all you need to do is enter the serial number, and update the system if the item is lost or stolen. If the police seize stolen property, or an item is found, officers can search the database to find out whom the item belongs to, and your property will be returned.

Community information is also key to combating vehicle crime. Any suspicious persons or vehicles should be reported to police. A thief can take just seconds to break into a vehicle, search it and steal the contents, so if a crime is in progress call 999 immediately. This will also increase the chances of being able to use forensics, police dogs or the air support unit to track down the offender. Information on where stolen items may be being sold should also be passed to police as soon
as possible.

Officers, including your local Safer Neighbourhood Team, can be contacted on 01284 774100 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. If anyone sees a crime in progress they should call 999 immediately.