Car Prowl On 3300 Block Of 46th Avenue NE And Seattle Police Prevention Tips

The Laurelhurst Blog received this email:

We live in the 3300 block of 46th Avenue NE and had the unfortunate knock on our door Sunday morning by a neighbor alerting us after seeing all the doors of my car and trunk open. 

We went out to the car and the  entire contents of my  car were stolen. It was either a sophisticated unlocking device or a mistake on my part of leaving my car unlocked.   

My trunk had several bags of new items to return.  The glove compartment was rifled through. There was nothing left. 

Just a thought with this warm weather that many of us have a fan or window A/C on and this totally blocks any sound from out doors. I think we would have heard something had our windows been open.

 

Here are Seattle Police Department's reminders about securing your car and valuables to prevent a car break-in:

CAR PROWL PREVENTION

 

Take all valuables with you when you park, and make sure all items, regardless of value, are not visible.
 

You are more likely to be a victim of a vehicle crime than any other crime reported to the Seattle Police Department. An experienced Car Prowler or Thief can gain access to your car in virtually seconds. 

In less than 30 seconds, someone could break into a parked car. Most car prowls themselves take less than two minutes. 

The damage done to locks and windows can be very expensive to repair and cause great inconvenience.

REDUCE YOUR RISK OF CAR PROWLS

The following are recommendations that can reduce your risk of being a victim of a car prowl or theft.

• When you exit or enter your parked vehicle, stop and take a look around the area.
• Before leaving your parked car, always remove the keys, roll up the windows and lock the car.
• Make a habit of locking your garage door and car doors.
• If possible, store your car in a closed and locked garage.
• If your car is stored in a carport or parked near your house, leave your exterior lights on throughout the night.
• If you park on the street, choose a well-lit, open space even if it means adding additional street/yard lighting & trimming back trees/bushes that block your view of your vehicle.
• If you park your car in a dark or isolated area, consider the City Light Area Lighting Program, which permits additional light fixtures to be placed on existing poles. The cost is less than $5 per month per light. Call (206) 684-3000 for more information.
• Consider replacing the light fixture closest to your car with a motion detector unit. Motion detectors are a good psychological deterrents since the normal assumption of a person seeing a light come on is that someone has seen them. Additionally, the light makes the prowler or thief more visible.