Crime Prevention Campaign, Lock It OR Lose It

December 9th, 2022

Crime Prevention Campaign, Lock It OR Lose It

Kingston police wish to remind citizens not to leave valuables in their vehicles and be sure to lock their doors. These types of thefts are usually thefts of opportunity. Someone trying door handles will enter unlocked parked vehicles and steal anything of value. On rare occasions a thief may smash a window or cause damage to get into a locked vehicle, especially if something of value can been seen from the outside. This forced entry creates a greater chance of the thief being caught due to the noise and is therefore far less common.

Police recommend that you make it a habit to never leave your wallet or purse inside your vehicle, even for a quick stop. Locked or unlocked a vehicle is not a safe place to leave your valuables. Cancelling credit/debit cards, dealing with potential identify fraud, and going through the process of obtaining new financial cards and identification is not only a significant inconvenience, it can also be a costly mistake.

Motorists and passengers are urged not to keep personal documents such as vehicle ownership, liability pink slips, credit card invoices, or other documents containing personal information in their vehicles. Identity thieves are looking for such documents so they can assume identities, secure credit card accounts, lease vehicles for export, and even take out a mortgage against victims’ properties without their knowledge.

Top 10 Things Would-be Thieves Look for When Looking for Opportunities Involving Vehicles

1. Vehicle left running
   
   
2. Unlocked doors or trunk
   
   
3. Bags of any sort (especially shopping bags around the holiday season)
   
   
4. Visible Electronics
   
   
5. Phone Chargers showing
   
   
6. Loose Change in view
   
   
7. Sunglasses
   
   
8. Tools
   
   
9. Watch or other jewelry
   
   
10. Easy access to the trunk from the vehicle cab
    
    

During the Lock It OR Lose It campaign, Kingston Police Community Volunteers will check parked vehicles at local malls to ensure people are taking steps to keep their belongings safe. They will place a small notice on all vehicles checked indicating what safety precautions were neglected and offer simple prevention tips for drivers to protect their vehicles against theft. The notices also congratulate drivers who have secured their vehicle. At no time will the volunteers be opening vehicle doors or checking vehicle door handles.