Tips for Automobile Security

The Gadsden Police Department wants you continue owning your vehicle until you are ready to get rid of it. Many car owners, because of carelessness and unconcerned behavior, invite thieves to steal their car. The chances of having your car stolen are greatly minimized by simply removing the opportunity through a few precautionary measures.

If your car is too much trouble to steal, a thief will look for another car. Here are some simple steps to take that will make your car harder to steal.

Parking Your Vehicle

• ALWAYS take the key out of the ignition, roll the windows up tight and lock  the doors whenever you park your vehicle, even if only for a minute.
• Park in a well-lighted, busy location if possible. A car thief would rather work where he is not seen. Check your vahicle from time to time.
• If you have a garage, use it! Lock both your car and the garage. If you  don`t have a garage, park in a driveway instead of the street, if possible.
• When you park in an attended lot, leave only the ignition key. Don`t give  the attendant a full set of keys or any key on which a key code appears. Either invites key copying. If you leave your house key, your home may become a target of a future burglary.
• Never hide spare keys in a secret place or in a magnetic key box under the hood or other accessible places. Car thieves routinely check the visors and ash tray and look under the floor mats. If you feel better with spare keys close at hand, then carry them with you.
• After parking your car, set the emergency brake and put the car in "park," or in gear if it has a manual transmission. To make it difficult for a thief to illegally tow your car, turn the steering wheel sharply to the left or right and remove the key to lock the steering column.

Alarms and Auto Theft Deterrence Systems

Install locks that deter thefts, such as:

• Tapered door lock buttons, to keep thieves from using coat hangers to open your car doors from the inside.
• High-security ignition locks, which normally go around the steering column housing (sometimes these are known as "cuff locks").
• A "cane" or "J-bend" lock, which normally hooks up the steering wheel and the brake pedal.

Install other forms of disablers, such as:

• An ignition kill device, which interferes with the ignition system even if the car is "hot-wired."
• A fuel cutoff device, which shuts off the fuel after running for a few seconds. All of these devices can be hidden.

Install the best type of alarm that you can afford (silent alarms, sound discriminators, motion detectors, and computerized tracking transmitters are among the high-end devices now available). Be sure to advise  potential thieves that you have an alarm by placing warning stickers on your windows or windshields.

Other Tips

Don`t keep the car`s title in the glove compartment; keep it at home. This will prevent a thief from using the title to "prove" he owns the car.

Don`t keep anything of value in your glove compartment-- and, therefore, don`t lock your glove compartment. Otherwise, some inquisitive thief may break it open to see what`s inside.

Check periodically to be sure that your vehicle identification number (VIN) is intact. This is the small metal plate, usually on the driver`s side where the dashboard and windshield meet.

Put packages and valuables out of sight, in the trunk. These include such items as cellular phones, calculators, CB radios, tape decks, expensive sports equipment and clothing. Put these items away before parking your car. If your car has a button release, keep the trunk button locked. This simple step only takes a few seconds every time you leave your  vehicle and is one of the best ways to keep a thief out of your vehicle.

When selling a car, DON`T let a stranger take it for a test drive alone. A car thief will not be back to pay you for your car. If a prospective buyer wants to take the car to a mechanic for an appraisal, volunteer to deliver and pick up the car.

What to Do if Your Car Is Stolen

If you discover that your vehicle  has been stolen, call the police immediately! Speed is essential in recovering  stolen cars; any delay in reporting only helps the thieves.

Here are a few other things you can do to help us recover your car:

• "Marking" your car can make it easier for the police to identify your vehicle. One way is to drop a business card in the window slot. Another is to carefully engrave your initials inside the trunk, the hood, or even on the dashboard near the VIN number.
• Carry a photocopy of your vehicle`s current license plate registration and insurance card. This will enable you to relay numbers to the police quickly if your car is stolen.
• Use discretion if you see someone tampering with your car. Call 911 as quickly as possible. Don`t begin a chase or fight with anyone, especially in a  secluded area.
• Protect yourself when buying a used car. Verify the seller`s name and address, and be sure that the VIN on the registration card is the same as the VIN on the car itself. Thousands of stolen cars are seized from innocent buyers every year.

REMEMBER TO BUCKLE UP WHEN YOU DRIVE

and

NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE!