Do your bit to help reduce car thefts, urges Chief Inspector

A Chief Inspector has asked car owners to do their bit to help reduce thefts by thinking about where they keep their keys.

In this film Chief Insp Nick Lee, Braintree District Commander, urges drivers not to leave keys lying around or stored in obvious places following a number of recent burglaries across the county.

Thieves have broken into homes to steal car keys and made off with vehicles parked outside. This is known as car key crime.

Initially high value cars were being targeted but Chief Insp Lee has warned that all models of car could be at risk.

He said: “We’ve seen a recent development where not just high power cars are being targeted but more mainstream cars.

“Essex Police takes this crime really seriously and we’ve got lots of measures in place to try and stop these people committing this crime.

“What I would ask is that everyone plays their part in reducing this crime type and helping to catch these people as quickly as possible.”

Residents are urged to do their bit to keep their cars safe by following the simple advice below:

• Where possible keep your car in a garage.
  
  
• Make sure you leave your car secure by closing windows and locking the doors and boot.
  
  
• If you lock your car using a key fob, checked it has actually locked as a faulty fob, low battery or someone blocking the signal could stop this happening.
  
  
• Make sure your house is secure before you go to bed by locking doors and accessible windows. If you have a UPVC front door or other door with a multi-locking system make sure you lock it properly by lifting the handle and turning the key. Set your house alarm at night if you have one.
  
  
• Don’t leave your car keys on display in a porch or hallway or anywhere obvious like a hook or kitchen drawer.
  
  
• If you have a high value car, think about fitting a tracker. This may help reduce your insurance premium too.
  
  
• If you believe you have an intruder in your home or attempting to get into your home dial 999 immediately. Don’t put yourself at risk.