Although it may be tempting to leave your car unlocked, or even running, to go inside quickly while shopping this Holiday Season, police says it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Medicine Hat Police Service Sgt. Darlene Garrecht of the Community Safety Unit says to avoid giving criminals the ability to commit a “crime of opportunity.”
Remember to always lock the door of your vehicle and be sure to leave any valuables out of plain sight, she said.
Thefts from vehicles are “very common,” occurring on a near daily basis, says Garrecht.
“We never want you to leave change, wallets, purses, garage door openers, all of that, in plain view in your vehicle,” she said.
It’s an error to assume that just because you’re going inside quickly, you can’t be a target.
“The bottom line is criminals target these areas and they wait for their opportunities, whether it’s at the mall, the convenience store, outside people’s homes while their vehicles are running,” said Garrecht. “People just get busy and they become complacent, or they forget.”
The ability to start your car from inside is a promising development for security purposes, but it shouldn’t serve as a replacement for vigilance.
“People can still steal vehicles when there’s no keys in them or if they’re not running, so we still encourage people not to leave their vehicle running unattended at all,” Garrecht said.
“Your safest means for your vehicle when it’s running is to be in the driver’s seat or have somebody in the vehicle.”
