Thieves

1. How to Protect Your Auto and Accessories

2. How to Protect Your Personal Property

How to Protect your Auto and Accessories

1. Park in well-lighted places where there is a lot of traffic, such as a Parking Garage, with high security lighting and frequent patrols

2. Consider Alarms and additional Security Devices
   1. Automobile alarms have not proven very effective on campus because they are too often ignored and not reported.
   2. Instead, use "Kill Switches"
      1. Devices that consist of a toggle switch wired into your car's ignition so that it cannot be started even with a key.
      2. If used, should be installed by a reliable professional, a car dealership, etc.
   3. Physically locked steering wheel bars, etc. hold the steering wheel in place even if the ignition is hot-wired or started with a key; the lock bar must be separately unlocked before the car can be driven.

3. The best security device is simply to lock the car and take the keys. No security system will make your car impossible to steal; the object is simply to make your car a "hardened" target. Most of the cars stolen in this area are not locked at the time of the offense, and many of them have the keys left in them.

4. "Hot Cars". Certain makes and models of cars are more likely than others to be stolen because they are in demand by black market dealers and because they are relatively easy to steal. The most prominent of these "Hot" cars can depend on the model most popular on the market.

5. To protect automobile accessories such as T-Tops, wheel covers, stereo equipment, etc., the best security technique is to mark these items with your Driver's License number; include the abbreviation for your state; Display on your vehicle one of the decals which announces that the property is marked. (Texas Action Council on Theft brochures are available at your Police Dept.). Thieves are less likely to steal marked property because they know they are more likely to be caught and prosecuted and because they know that marked property is difficult to sell; "Fences" will not pay as much for marked as for unmarked goods.

Source: Gary McHone, LCC - Captain - Prosper Police Dept.

How to protect your Personal Property

1. Mark your Personal property (Typewriters, Stereos, Radios, etc.) with your Driver's License number. The same logic applies here as with auto accessories.

2. Lock your doors when you are away, even if you intend to be gone only for a few minutes. You or your roommate should both make a habit of locking the doors and taking your keys with you. This is less trouble than being ripped off while you are away. Locking your door does not guarantee that you won't be victimized, but it is much easier for your PD to investigate the burglary of a locked room than a "Crime of Opportunity" theft from a room left unlocked and unattended.

3. Report all offenses to your local Police Department. Even if cash or some other untraceable item is taken or if you have no hope of recovering the lost property, or if you think the offense is too minor to concern yourself with, it is important that a report be made.

Individual Responsibility - Police Departments cannot guarantee the safety of all the people and all their property all of the time. It is the responsibility of the individual to be aware of the risks present and to take advantage of the services available to reduce those risks. The Police and other departments stand ready to assist in any way possible, and any person with a safety concern is encouraged to contact their local police department.

Source: Gary McHone, LCC - Captain - Prosper Police Dept.

If you have a good resource for this type of crime, please send it to us via our Contact Us form.