Hide yo keys, hide yo purse
'Cuz they're stealin' everything out here!
YouTube has a tutorial for pretty much everything, whether you want to learn how to knit, apply makeup, or even break into a car.
“The media is the biggest culprit with vehicles getting stolen because they post on YouTube how to steal a car,” said Fanshawe Special Constable Brent Arseneault of Community and Crime Prevention Programs. “The innocent person uses it as a protection piece, but the 14-year-old who's never done it before now uses it to steal a car.”
Car thefts happen on a regular basis in London, and Fanshawe's parking lots are not an exception.
“We do get thefts on campus,” said Arseneault. “We recently had some cars that were broken into.” This year, there have been two stolen vehicles and 15 vehicle break-ins on campus.
Const. Ken Steeves, media relations officer for the London Police Service, said there have been more than 400 vehicles stolen so far in the city in 2013, and many more break-ins. “We've had 1,442 incidences reported to us in relation to thefts for motor vehicles (car break-ins) this year.”
Bob Earle, supervisor of Campus Security, said leaving valuables in sight can make any car a target. “It's a matter of opportunity. People who present the best opportunity are going to get victimized first. If you leave your GPS sitting up on your dashboard, that's just an invitation.”
According to Steeves, break-ins are preventable. “We recommend you put all your valuables out of sight from anybody who may be looking to steal anything from your vehicle.”
Thieves are not just looking for big-ticket items, he continued. They'll take anything that's easy to convert into cash. “It may not be of any value to the owner because they've had that (thing) for two years, but (thieves) can easily convert that to $10 or $20. That's all they're looking for.”
Arseneault said sloppy habits put drivers at high risk of theft. “Leaving their car unlocked or their window rolled down, there's a different vulnerability if they're not protecting their own property.”
In the past several months, police from various American cities have been getting reports of incidences where cars are being broken into, and culprits leaving no trace.
U.S. police have caught wind of a new ring of car thefts involving a high-tech wireless device to break into cars. Some break-ins have been caught on video and show thieves holding the device in their hands, walking up to passenger doors and popping the lock with no problem.
Though no reports of this have surfaced in Canada, it could happen.
Both the London Police and our on-campus security agree that people should report unusual behaviour.
“Sometimes it's difficult to determine what unusual behaviour is, but in a parking lot, it's pretty straightforward,” said Earle. “If somebody is wandering up and down aisles ... if people aren't going directly from the building to their vehicle or (vice versa), they're probably up to something.”
“At the end of the day, we are the ones that have to be right or wrong,” said Arseneault. “Your function is to call us and provide as much information as you can.”
KEEPING YOUR CAR SAFE
It takes an average of 30 seconds to steal a vehicle. Follow these tips to maximize your car's safety.
- Always lock your doors and roll up windows. “Sure, there are methods to bypass that, but that's one more obstacle that people have to go through,” said Steeves.
- Keep vehicle registration and proof of insurance on your person, not in the glove compartment.
- Lock up valuables in the trunk before arriving at your destination, as opposed to locking it up once you get there. “The problem is you're doing it in eyesight of everyone that can see that you locked it in your trunk,” said Arseneault.
- Park in well-lit areas and travel with a buddy. Arseneault said, “Make sure you tell people where you're going, and travel in pairs if you can. Do whatever you can to protect yourself.”
YouTube has a tutorial for pretty much everything, whether you want to learn how to knit, apply makeup, or even break into a car.
“The media is the biggest culprit with vehicles getting stolen because they post on YouTube how to steal a car,” said Fanshawe Special Constable Brent Arseneault of Community and Crime Prevention Programs. “The innocent person uses it as a protection piece, but the 14-year-old who's never done it before now uses it to steal a car.”
Car thefts happen on a regular basis in London, and Fanshawe's parking lots are not an exception.
“We do get thefts on campus,” said Arseneault. “We recently had some cars that were broken into.” This year, there have been two stolen vehicles and 15 vehicle break-ins on campus.
Const. Ken Steeves, media relations officer for the London Police Service, said there have been more than 400 vehicles stolen so far in the city in 2013, and many more break-ins. “We've had 1,442 incidences reported to us in relation to thefts for motor vehicles (car break-ins) this year.”
Bob Earle, supervisor of Campus Security, said leaving valuables in sight can make any car a target. “It's a matter of opportunity. People who present the best opportunity are going to get victimized first. If you leave your GPS sitting up on your dashboard, that's just an invitation.”
According to Steeves, break-ins are preventable. “We recommend you put all your valuables out of sight from anybody who may be looking to steal anything from your vehicle.”
Thieves are not just looking for big-ticket items, he continued. They'll take anything that's easy to convert into cash. “It may not be of any value to the owner because they've had that (thing) for two years, but (thieves) can easily convert that to $10 or $20. That's all they're looking for.”
Arseneault said sloppy habits put drivers at high risk of theft. “Leaving their car unlocked or their window rolled down, there's a different vulnerability if they're not protecting their own property.”
In the past several months, police from various American cities have been getting reports of incidences where cars are being broken into, and culprits leaving no trace.
U.S. police have caught wind of a new ring of car thefts involving a high-tech wireless device to break into cars. Some break-ins have been caught on video and show thieves holding the device in their hands, walking up to passenger doors and popping the lock with no problem.
Though no reports of this have surfaced in Canada, it could happen.
Both the London Police and our on-campus security agree that people should report unusual behaviour.
“Sometimes it's difficult to determine what unusual behaviour is, but in a parking lot, it's pretty straightforward,” said Earle. “If somebody is wandering up and down aisles ... if people aren't going directly from the building to their vehicle or (vice versa), they're probably up to something.”
“At the end of the day, we are the ones that have to be right or wrong,” said Arseneault. “Your function is to call us and provide as much information as you can.”
KEEPING YOUR CAR SAFE
It takes an average of 30 seconds to steal a vehicle. Follow these tips to maximize your car's safety.
- Always lock your doors and roll up windows. “Sure, there are methods to bypass that, but that's one more obstacle that people have to go through,” said Steeves.
- Keep vehicle registration and proof of insurance on your person, not in the glove compartment.
- Lock up valuables in the trunk before arriving at your destination, as opposed to locking it up once you get there. “The problem is you're doing it in eyesight of everyone that can see that you locked it in your trunk,” said Arseneault.
- Park in well-lit areas and travel with a buddy. Arseneault said, “Make sure you tell people where you're going, and travel in pairs if you can. Do whatever you can to protect yourself.”
