How to protect yourself against car thieves

Neighbors in our community have complained about having their personal property stolen from their cars while pumping gas at local stations, having their cars broken into while in their own driveway, and having vehicles stolen from both locations. Whether getting gas or parking your car at a shopping plaza or in a parking garage, bad things can happen to you and your vehicles and before you know it, you have become a victim of a car crime.

Car crimes can be defined as vandalism, auto theft, and theft of personal belongings. Slider crimes are offenses that continue to increase in our South Cobb community. Slider crimes are when an unsuspecting driver gets out of their vehicle and leaves their car door unlocked. The slider (robber) slides into the vehicle to either steal purses, wallets, laptops, cell phones, or anything else of value that can be resold or pawned quickly. Many sliders have been known to steal the car itself. This is especially frightening if the thief doesn’t realize you have a child or pet in the back seat.

Slider crimes literally take only a few seconds to commit and thieves are long gone before the victim turns back around. Victims of these crimes regrettably had something in common, their cars were vandalized or taken while they were unlocked, still running, or had keys left inside of them.

A South Cobb resident recently shared in a neighborhood post how he watched sliders steal the purse of an unsuspecting driver pumping gas at our neighborhood station. After victimizing this person, the thief and his accomplice boldly crossed the street and did the same thing to another innocent driver at a different gas station. Though he was not able to stop the sliders, he was able to provide authorities with a description.Blog

While we cannot prevent car crimes from happening, there are things that we can do to make it more challenging for thieves to be successful.

Cars Off and Locked

• Stay alert – Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Never let your cell phone distract you as you are getting out of your car.
• Never leave your car running when you exit your vehicle.
• Always turn the engine off and lock your doors when you are outside of your car, which includes when you are pumping your gas.
• When your car is parked and you plan to walk away, never leave personal items out; your mail or anything with your name and address should always be faced down in your car or hidden.
• Amazon boxes, laptop bags, electronics, shopping bags, and anything else that looks desirable to a thief needs to be covered/hidden.

Home, Gyms, and Fitness Centers

• These places are a magnet for thieves because most people mistakenly leave valuables in their car, DON’T.
• Never let down your guard because your neighborhood is quiet or gated.
• Beware of cars that follow you into your neighborhood.
• If you think you are being followed, never drive directly to your home.
• Take a detour, go somewhere public, have your phone ready, and seek help if needed.
• When you enter your home, always lock your garage doors and residential entrances. This will eliminate easy opportunities for burglary and theft by those who have accessed your parked vehicle outside your home.

Additional Parking Lot Tips

Parking garages are notorious for crime. They have stairwells, elevators, and many are enclosed – which criminals depend on.

• Always try to park in a well-lit area.
• Be aware of your surroundings before getting out of your car.
• Make sure that you don’t have too many things in your hand.
• Carry pepper spray and be ready to use it if needed.
• When we walk away from our vehicles, we often hit the clicker to hear the locking sound. Make it a habit to always look back when doing so. Are your interior lights still on? Did you accidentally open your trunk instead of locking your car? Did you leave the windows down? Always look back.
• Check your surroundings before returning to your car, get in quickly, and lock the doors.
• If at any time you do not feel safe, do not approach your vehicle. Return inside and seek help.

We know that crime happens all the time, but we don’t have to be one of its victims. As authorities continue to study the trends to break up these Slider crime rings and bring criminals to justice, we need to do our part. Take a few preventative steps, so you don’t become their next target. Be vigilant. Be aware. Do not allow yourself to become a victim because of your own mistakes.