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Although a professional car thief can
defeat most security measures and quickly
break into and steal a locked vehicle, most
vehicle break-ins and thefts are carried out
by amateurs who take advantage of the
carelessness of drivers in leaving vehicles
unlocked, valuables in sight, etc. The tips
in this section will significantly enhance
the security of your vehicles.
The following tips help prevent vehicle
break-ins, which could lead to theft of the
vehicle itself or of property items from the
vehicle.
 | Park in open, well-lighted, and
populated areas near your destination,
preferably one in view of a security
camera. Avoid parking near trucks, vans,
dumpsters, and other objects that
obstruct visibility and provide hiding
places. Avoid parking near strangers
loitering or sitting in vehicles.
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| Park in lots or garages where you
don’t have to leave your keys.
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| Park in your garage, if you have
one. Don’t leave your vehicle on the
street, in an alley, or on your
driveway. If you have to park on a
street, avoid dark or isolated areas.
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| Turn off your engine, roll up all
windows, lock all doors, and take your
keys with you even if you are making a
quick stop at a store or gas station, or
even in your driveway. Close all windows
and lock the trunk and hood.
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| Don’t leave spare keys in your
vehicle. An experienced thief knows all
the hiding places. Store spare keys in
your wallet.
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| Don’t leave your vehicle in an
unattended public lot for an extended
period time.
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| Buy a vehicle with interior hood and
truck lock releases. Install a secondary
hood lock if your car does not have one.
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| Replace knob-type door lock buttons
with tapered ones.
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| Install an alarm system that will
sound when someone attempts to break in,
move, tilt, or start your vehicle.
Always activate the system when leaving
the vehicle.
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| Check your vehicle if you hear the
alarm sound. But don’t try to stop a
person attempting to break in. Get a
good description of the person and call
911.
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| When you lock your vehicle with a
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) fob make sure
that all the doors are locked before
leaving your vehicle, especially in
public parking lots. There has been an
increase in the use of jammers to
prevent the RKE signal from activating
the door locks. |
To prevent theft of cars, SUVs, and
light trucks:
| Turn your wheels sharply toward the
curb when parking on a street.
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| Use anti-theft devices that can be
attached to the steering wheel or
column, or brake pedal. Use one every
time you leave your vehicle unattended.
Steering wheel locks are inexpensive and
are recommended by some experts to be
the most cost-effective theft deterrent
on the market today.
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| Install fuel or power cut-off
switches.
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| Buy a vehicle with a locking
ignition or steering column.
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| Chain motorcycles and bicycles to
stationary objects when unattended.
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| Consider having your VIN (Vehicle
Identification Number) etched on all the
windows. |
To prevent the theft of motorcycles:
| Park your bike in the garage when at
home. Park in a well-lighted area when
out, preferably in view of a security
camera.
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| Try to avoid parking between larger
vehicles as they provide cover for
thieves.
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| Chain your bike to a secure,
immovable object when unattended. Loop
the chain through the frame and make
sure it is tight around your bike.
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| Install an alarm and a hidden kill
switch.
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To prevent the theft of property from a
vehicle:
| Never leave anything of value in
plain sight. Remove all cellular phones,
audio systems, computers, packages,
sports equipment, cameras, purses,
wallets, firearms, etc. Never lock
anything in the trunk after you park.
Thieves may be watching. Put valuables
in the trunk before you park. But never
leave anything you can’t afford to lose,
e.g., a wallet, credit card, or laptop
computer, in your trunk. Take them with
you.
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| Make sure that any valuables that
were locked in the glove box or trunk
were not taken or tampered with when you
return to your vehicle. Thieves are able
to get into some vehicles without
leaving any visible signs of a break-in.
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| Take the removable face of your CD
player with you even if you are going to
be gone for a few minutes.
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| Lock truck-bed toolboxes.
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| Install locking devices on
batteries, wheels, audio equipment, etc.
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| Make several slices through your
license plate registration sticker after
it has been placed on the plate. If the
plate or sticker is stolen, call the DMV
(Department of Motor Vehicles)
immediately to report the loss and get
replacements. |
| Call the police immediately and
provide a complete description of the
vehicle and any property taken from it,
including a stolen license plate. Call
911 if the theft is in
progress. Otherwise call (815)
624-4351, the RPD’s
non-emergency number. Vehicles should
be described by: year, make, model,
color(s), VIN, insurance company and
policy number, license plate number and
state, and name of any tracking and
locator system installed in the
vehicle. Property should be described
by type, make, model, serial number, and
fair market value. (It is important to
report all vehicle crimes to the RPD
even if the loss is small and you are
not planning to file an insurance
claim. This enables the Department to
assess the magnitude and nature of the
problem and assign prevention, patrol,
and enforcement assets accordingly.)
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| Etch your driver’s license number on
all removable valuable items, e.g.,
audio equipment. Also etch the number on
various places on the vehicle itself.
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| Don’t leave your driver’s license in
the vehicle.
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| Keep a record of the VIN, license
plate number, and insurance information
in your wallet or purse. Also be able to
provide the information listed above for
any property that might be stolen from
the vehicle.
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| Don’t leave your vehicle title (pink
slip) in the vehicle.
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| Install a vehicle tracking and
location system that can be activated
after the vehicle is reported as stolen.
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| Park in open, well-lighted, and
populated areas near your destination.
Avoid parking near trucks, vans,
dumpsters, and other objects that
obstruct visibility and provide hiding
places. Avoid parking near strangers
loitering or sitting in vehicles.
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| Park in your garage, if you have
one. Don’t leave your vehicle on the
street, in an alley, or on your
driveway. If you have to park on a
street, avoid dark or isolated areas.
|
| Don’t leave your vehicle in an
unattended public lot for an extended
period time.
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| Buy a vehicle with interior hood and
truck lock releases. Install a secondary
hood lock if your car does not have one.
Also install a locking gas tank cap.
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| Be suspicious of a ridiculously low
price or a fresh paint job on a
late-model vehicle, especially a luxury
car or SUV.
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| Make sure the seller is the owner
named on the vehicle title. Don’t be
afraid to ask to see some photo
identification.
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| Verify past insurance and financing,
and current registration and license
plate sticker.
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| Make sure the VIN has not been
tampered with and matches the number on
the vehicle title, registration, and
proof of insurance. Thieves have been
known to sell stolen vehicles with
cloned VINs, i.e., those of vehicles not
stolen.
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| Obtain both sets of the original
keys.
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| Make sure registration fees paid to
dealer are sent to DMV promptly.
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