Another Round of Car Break-ins Plagues the Southern Tier
In July and August, the Chenango Bridge area saw a rash of car break-ins. Well, now the Town of Union is falling victim.
Most of the items stolen have been electronic devices, debit and credit cards. Some victim vehicles were in garages. The areas hit by the crime wave so far are: JFK Boulevard and Southern Pines Drive as well as Taft Avenue and Buffalo Street.
There are many things you can do to prevent your car from being broken into. The biggest thing is locking your car. Many vehicles are not locked in this area, apparently. that was a surprise to me, but not to the thieves!
Here is a reminder of how to protect yourself from being a victim.
1. Keep your car locked. Even if you park it in your garage. Several of the victim cars were unlocked making for obvious easy access. Sadly, locking is a necessity these days.
2. Clean the inside of your windshield. The suction cups from your GPS and other devices you stick to your windshield leave telltale circular prints. These are completely obvious to thieves.
3. Remove power chords from sight. The chargers that come with most mobile devices, whether the devices are in the car or not, will be temptation to take a look for any thief worth his salt. Hide them!
4. Never, ever leave mobile devices or anything of value in your car. They cost enough to carry with you. Leaving them in the trunk isn’t good enough since the rear cushion can be removed to gain access.
5. Even if you follow these steps and do everything right, your car may fall victim to a break-in. If the value, to you, is high enough maybe investing in an anti-theft device would be smart.
6. Keep all credit and debit cards with you at all times. Never leave them in a vehicle.
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