Sat Nav thefts in Slough go through the roof
Police in Slough are launching a campaign to crack down on thefts of satellite navigation systems.
The two-month long Slough campaign, to be officially launched on Monday 16 July, follows a massive rise in sat nav thefts in the area in recent months - a 79 per cent increase since 1 April.
Ch Insp Dave Parker, deputy commander for Slough police area, said: “Thefts of sat navs are a major problem in Slough, despite our best efforts to combat them. On average, 10 are stolen a day.
“Their visibility, portability and value make them a gift for opportunist thieves; but it really only takes a couple of minutes to take the sat nav and cradle with you and rub off the suction mark – we want to get people into the habit of doing this and prevent themselves becoming a victim. I want people to realise that leaving a sat nav in a car is the equivalent of leaving cash laid out on the dash-board.”
Publicity for the Slough campaign will include trailers displaying sat nav theft prevention messages travelling around the town and advertisements on the back of First buses
Slough Crime reduction advisers will visit all the major supermarkets, schools, and major car parks, including the railway station, during the launch week, to give out vehicle crime advice packs to the public. The packs are also available from the front desk at Slough police station.
Ch Insp Parker continued: “We recommend that drivers take all valuables with them – including the distinctive plastic cradles which hold many electronic devices – and wipe away marks left by suction pads.
“Leaving the support cradle or marks from suction pads behind encourages thieves to break into the car because they assume a device is hidden in the glove box.”
Slough’s crime reduction advice team urge people to take the following advice:
• Close all windows and lock the doors when you leave your car, even if it’s only for a short time.
• Don’t leave anything on display in your car, remove all parts of the system including any support cradles and suction pads fitted to the windscreen
• Clean off any marks left by the holder and pads.
• Don’t leave your sat nav in your glove compartment – it’s the first place a thief will look – instead, leave your glove compartment open to show that there is nothing inside and take the system and components with you.
• Keep a record of the make, model and serial number of the equipment. Store this somewhere safe, separately from the vehicle.
• Mark your system with your postcode and house number or vehicle registration using a special security marker such as an ultra-violet pen. This will make it difficult for thieves to sell your property and enable the police to return items to you if they are taken.
• For further information about vehicle security, please look at the Thames Valley Police website – www.thamesvalley.police.uk
• Alternatively contact the Crime Reduction Team on 0845 8 505 505
Remember – Remove it, or lose it.
Thames Valley Police ~ Slough