Tag Archives: Protection from Car Theft

A few months ago, my cousin drove in to visit New York City from Albany. We went out to Williamsburg, Brooklyn and had dinner at a lovely french restaurant and stayed out til 2AM at a rooftop bar. My cousin parked his car, a sexy 09 Mazda Speed3, closer to the waterfront on a street that had occasional pedestrian traffic. When we returned, after a 2AM pizza slice, to drive home, we found his righthand passenger window had been shattered on the street side and he noticed that his computer bag was missing. The more expensive stereo system was still in place.

Luckily, my cousin had chosen to not bring his computer down that weekend but instead to use his computer bag to bring a change of clothes. Other car owners are not so lucky.

Here are the top five ways to protect your car from theft:

1. Choose a Safe Location
Thieves are strategically minded. They are going to choose a car based on the feasibility of executing the theft. By that logic, a car placed in a dark, sparsely used street in an area zoned for industrial use is more susceptible than a car parked on an avenue lined with restaurants and 2nd floor apartments. My cousin’s story is a cautionary tale.

2. Do not Leave Expensive Items Exposed
This can be expanded to include: Do not Leave Items That Can Be Perceived to be Expensive Exposed. After all, the computer bag did not actually have anything of immense value in it, but it very well could have. Likewise, a knockoff Louis Vuitton bag could be just used as a beach bag but it could also contain the new Ipod, who knows? A thief, as was demonstrated in the story, is willing to take their chances.

3. Take the Title and Registration with You; Do Not Leave It in the Car
If a thief finds these documents in the dashboard in the process of stealing your stereo system, they have hit a gold mine. This means that they could more easily sell your car on the market. Do not give them further incentive.

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4. Secure your Vehicle when Parked
This means: make sure your windows are closed, use your emergency break when parked, turn your wheels towards the curb when parked as well (these last two will make is harder for your car to be towed away by theives)

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5. Be a Conscientious Car Owner
Do not leave your keys in the car, do not leave your car unlocked, do no leave your car running and unattended and do not hide an extra set of keys in the car. Thieves will check!