IS YOUR CAR SECURE?

Being on the receiving end of a car crime is a distressing experience. You and your family may be stranded far from home and with little money. Then there is the inconvenience of coping without a car until insurance claims are paid. Even if your car is returned to you it may be damaged and in need of repair before you can use it again. Of all crimes car crime is probably the most preventable. Good security acts as a deterrent slowing a thief down and forcing him to use tools that are hard to conceal. And there are some things we can do which cost us nothing at all.

Doors and Windows
Lock the doors, windows, boot and sunroof every time you leave your car - no matter how brief. Follow this routine even when filling up with petrol or just popping in to the newsagents.

Ignition key and immobiliser
Take the ignition key out even when the car is parked in your drive or garage. Lock all doors and if you have one fitted to your vehicle, always set the immobiliser. If the vehicle does not have an immobiliser, consider having one fitted.

Steering lock and other security devices
Make sure these are engaged and activated every time the vehicle is unattended, no matter how short the period it is left for.

Valuables and other possessions
Don't leave anything on display. That old coat on the back seat may be worthless but a thief won't know that. He may break in to see if you've left money or cards in the pocket.

Remember, the cost of replacing a broken window is often far more than the value of goods stolen. If you can, take your belongings with you. If not then lock everything out of sight in the boot. Be particularly careful never to leave cheque, credit and debit cards, driving documents and personal correspondence in an unattended vehicle. They can be used to help a thief to sell your car or provide a cover story if stopped by police. The majority of stolen credit cards in circulation were taken from unattended vehicles.

Mobile phones
40% of car break-ins involve the theft of a mobile phone. Mark your phone and battery with your postcode and keep a note of its serial number in a safe place. Each mobile phone has a unique serial number, known as an'IMEI' number. To discover this number key the star button, followed by the hash, zero, six, and again by the hash. (*#06#). Record the number on the display and keep it in a safe place. This will increase the chances for the police to reunite a phone with its owner should it ever be stolen and help some service-providers block the instrument to prevent its use by the thief.

Radio/cassette players
Always remove these if you can. Whether removable or not, all equipment should be marked visibly and permanently with the vehicle registration number. Make a note of the serial number and keep it a safe place.

Etching
Arrange to have the vehicle registration number etched on to all glass surfaces - including the side windows and headlamps. You may also arrange to have the vehicle identification number (VIN) etched in this way, but check with your manufacturer first.

Aerial
When parking put the aerial down to stop it being vandalised.

Driving
When driving your car, keep valuables out of sight and consider keeping all the doors locked and the windows closed. Thieves have stolen handbags and other valuables by opening car doors or even breaking windows while cars are stationary at traffic lights or held up in slow moving traffic. If you need to keep your bag on the seat next to you, fasten the seatbelt through the handles.

Parking
If you have a garage use it and remember to lock it. Watch out for strangers showing interest in your car or your neighbours' car. They may be thinking of stealing it rather than admiring it! If they look suspicious, call the police straight away. More than half of all car thefts occur in the vicinity of the home. When away from home, or if you do not have a garage, always try to park in a well-lit, open location. Thieves target car parks. A quarter of all recorded car crime happens in car parks. When parking in a public car park, look for one that is well supervised with restricted entry and exit points, good lighting and security cameras. Avoid dark corners.

Secured Car Parks
The police scheme - SECURED CAR PARKS - aims to make car parks safer, more attractive places by setting high crime prevention standards of internal design, layout and management, linking the area to CCTV and other technical features. Those measuring up are entitled to display the official gold or silver " Secured Car Parks " plaque.

For further advice and information on crime prevention and property marking, contact the Crime Prevention Centre, Unit 17, Arndale Walk, Wandsworth Shopping Centre, London SW18. They can be contacted by telephone on 020 8871 0803, fax on 020 8874 5301, or e-mail at www.crimeshop@wandsworth.gov.uk.