“They were taking stolen vehicles,” Sgt. Tim Burrows alleged on Thursday. “They were taking vehicles that had been written off in collisions and assembling the parts using the documentation of one to cover up the tracks and put these vehicles back on the road.” Here are some tips on preventing automobile theft.
Preventing Automobile Theft
Automobile theft and robbery are lucrative and relatively common crime. Hundreds of thousands or cars are broken into each year. Some cars are robbed of valuables and some are stolen and resold or used for parts. While automobile thieves are constantly adapting their methods to steal cars faster and with less hassle, there are still things you can do to protect your vehicle. Never leave the keys in your car when it is unattended. This includes “warming up your car” in the morning during the winter and running into the store to make a quick purchase. A thief only needs a few seconds to steal your car if the keys are already in it. For that same reason, do not leave a spare key in your car or in a magnetic “keybox” on your vehicle. Always keep spare keys in a secure location in your home or office.Always lock your car doors and roll up the windows when you’re leaving the car parked to prevent automobile theft and robbery. It can be tempting to leave the window open a crack to keep the car cool or to leave the doors unlocked while you run a quick errand, but it’s simply not safe to do. You should also keep your vehicle in your garage whenever possible and make sure that you garage is properly locked. If you have to park your vehicle outside, always park it in a well-lit area where it can be easily seen by many. Parking your car in a dark alley makes it a much easier target for a criminal who would much rather work in private.
In order to prevent automobile theft, it is also important to install an anti-theft system on your car. Whether you decide to have an audible alarm, a GPS tracking device or an anti-mobilization system installed, a security service can help protect your car. You should also make sure that you know your vehicle identification number (VIN) and keep a record of it in a safe place. You may want to have your VIN etched on the window or on other parts of the vehicle to make it less desirable to thieves and easier to track if it is ever stolen.
Protecting your Personal Information Online
If you’re like most people today, you probably have a large amount of personal data online. In fact, you may not even remember exactly what information is out there, who you gave it to and what they are doing with it. You likely enter sensitive information into your computer several times a day. Whether you are conducting an online banking session, using a web-based email service, signing into a social network or filling out an online survey, you offer personal information to a variety of different companies each day.Reputable companies have strong privacy policies that dictate how they use your personal information and provide protection for anyone entering this information online. Such companies require personal information for a variety of reasons and in general it makes sense to trust a reputable company with your information. However, before handing over any personal information, you should always consider who you are giving it to and determine exactly how your information will be used and protected.
Always read a website’s privacy policy before entering any personal information. SafeTech Alarm Systems’ privacy policy can be found here. A company privacy policy tells you exactly what information is collected, how the information is used and provides you with important details about how your privacy is protected.
If you trust a website and decide to enter your personal information into a site (such as credit card information, login credentials, etc.) first verify that you’re actually on the correct website. Sometimes criminals will set up similar-looking websites at similar domain names in an attempt to trick people. You’ll also want to make sure that you only enter sensitive information over a secure connection. Check to make sure the address in your browser’s address bar starts with “https://” rather than “http://”. This is especially important if you are using a public network rather than your home network.
Whenever you use a public Internet connect, such as at a library or a public WiFi spot, make sure that your firewall is turned on, that you always log out of all websites after you are done using them and that you turn off any “sharing” features that your computer may have.
Pet Safety Tips
On February 17, Toronto police issued a warning to pet owners after three dogs died from possible poisonings. The dogs each went into seizures following walks and died shortly after. In 2004, 16 dogs in the same area were poisoned by hot dogs laced with insecticide that were left in a nearby park.It’s always important to prevent your pets from eat anything strange while you are walking them. Letting your dog take a bite out of a spare sandwich that you find on the sidewalk may not seem like a big deal, but you never know what may be in that sandwich. You’ll also want to watch out for antifreeze or windshield washer fluid. These liquids are sometimes spilled on sidewalks or driveways and they can poison your pets. Keep them away from such spills. If you spill antifreeze yourself, clean it up immediately. You’ll also want to keep your pets away from cigarette butts and ashtrays. Animals can get nicotine poisoning if they eat cigarettes that they find on the ground. If your pet ingests anything suspicious outside, call a veterinarian immediately.
You’ll also want to watch out for substances and items that could damage your pet’s paws. Road salt and chemicals that are used to melt ice on sidewalks, roads and driveways can irritate or injure a pet’s feet. Be aware of broken bottles and other debris as well.
It’s also very important to keep your pets off of the road. Always keep your animals on leashes near roadways and do not place them in the back of moving vehicles unless they are in a pet-safe kennel. No matter how trained your animal is, he or she may jump out of a moving vehicle at any time. This could result in serious injury or death. Keep a close eye on pets at all times. You should also make sure that your pet’s collar clearly identifies your pet and provides a current phone number that can be called in an emergency. If your pet is lost or injured this tag could be the only way that you can be notified. If your pet is injured, you may want to place a towel or blanket over its head when trying to move it to safety or into a vehicle. An injured animal could attempt to bite anyone who comes near it. Telephone animal control, a veterinarian or a 24-hour emergency clinic immediately and ask for help.
Traveling Safely
There can be a lot to take care of when you’re traveling. Even before you leave you’ll need to pack, wrap up any projects you have ongoing, find someone to look after your home, children and pets, put your mail on hold and more. With all of this activity and planning going on it can be easy to overlook security. However, security and safety while traveling are incredibly important so it makes sense to have a plan.When you travel, it is a good idea to bring a “Travel Emergency Card” with you. This is a card that has local police, fire department, hospital and other emergency information written on it. You’ll also want to put your own information on the card and provide an emergency contact number that can be called if something happens to you. Keep this card on your person at all times.
It is also very important that you secure your identification when you are traveling. If your luggage or wallet is stolen, you could lose your credit cards, driver’s license and – perhaps worst of all – your passport. When you travel make sure that you only bring essential identification items with you and do not carry more cash than you will need for the day. Keep your cards, passport and wallet with you at all times and do not leave them in a purse or bag that can be easily stolen. Bags with long straps that hang away from the body are much easier to steal than bags that hang close to your body. You may want to purchase a hanging “passport wallet” that you can secure to your belt. This will make it much more difficult to lose and protect it from thieves. Some country’s passports now contain Radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips that can be read from a distance by someone with the right technology. Securing your passport in an RFID blocking wallet or case can keep a criminal from reading your personal information.
When you are in another country, you may find unmarked or unlicensed taxi cabs. These are usually cheaper than official taxes, but they’re often not worth the trouble. You could end up in danger if you get into the wrong vehicle. Whenever you take a taxi, make sure to ask what the fare will be in advance and ask the driver what route will be taken before you head out. This will prevent you from being “surprised” by the charges when you get to your destination. It helps to know where you’re going so that you are not taken advantage of.
If you take any medication, make sure that you have extra bottles and that you keep these in your purse or carry on bag. Always keep medication in the original, labeled bottles and bring copies of all prescriptions as well as a list of generic names for the drugs. Not only will this help you clear customs faster, but it will allow you to replace medication in an emergency.
It is also important to keep your home secure while you are on vacation. Use motion-activated lighting and/or lighting on timers to keep your house looking occupied while you are gone and make sure to activate your security system before you go. If you have security cameras at home, you may want to opt for Internet-enabled security cameras that will let you check in on your home from a smart phone, laptop or tablet computer while you are away.
For more information on home security, please contact our loss prevention experts today.