Local car break-ins rise, LPD and DOT provide tips

Lexington Police Department:

Friendly reminder to lock it, take it and hide it to help prevent your car from break-ins. Recently we have had more vehicle break-ins, so please be alert and aware.

Anytime you are parking your vehicle, whether out or at home remember to:

LOCK IT - Lock your doors and roll up your windows.

TAKE IT - Take your valuables with you.

HIDE IT - Hide any perceived valuables still in your car.

More tips from the United States Department of Transportation

A motor vehicle was stolen every 39 seconds in the United States in 2020. 

Thieves want vehicle parts and valuable items, too.

Radios and wheel covers aren't the only popular stolen vehicle parts thieves take. They want whatever sells, from the mandated labeled parts to those that aren't. Some of the most popular vehicle parts or valuable items stolen from vehicles include doors, engines, transmissions, air bags, radios, GPS units, cell phones, iPads, laptops, and purses.

THE TOPIC

Protect Your Ride

There are numerous antitheft systems and devices designed to make vehicles more difficult to steal or easier to trace and recover. Here are how some of them work:

• Audible and Visible Devices: These devices, such as a horn alarm, deter theft by bringing attention to an unauthorized attempt to steal or enter a vehicle. Visible devices create a visual threat/warning/deterrence, such as the use of steering-wheel locks, as well as theft-deterrent decals, flashing lights, and window etching.

• Immobilizing-Type Devices: These prevent thieves from bypassing a vehicle’s ignition system and hot-wiring the vehicle. Some incorporate computer chips in ignition keys or disable the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine.

• Vehicle Recovery Systems: These devices use electronic transmission technology that help law enforcement reveal the location of stolen vehicles—and possibly catch the thief in the act.

THE TOPIC

Where's My Ride?

If you are a victim of vehicle theft, follow these steps:

• Contact police immediately to file a stolen-vehicle report. You will need a copy of the police report and/or a case number to provide to your insurance company. You may also be asked to provide the following information:

  • License plate number;

  • Make, model, and color of your vehicle; and

  • Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and any identifying characteristics.

• Contact your insurance company to file a claim within 24 hours of your vehicle being stolen.

• If you find your vehicle before authorities do, contact the police and your insurance company immediately.

NHTSA IN ACTION

NHTSA is dedicated to promoting safe behaviors on our nation’s roads

NHTSA regulations require vehicle manufacturers to label major vehicle component and replacement parts so authorities can better attempt to trace and recover stolen parts, and also encourages manufacturers to install passive anti-theft devices, like immobilizer systems, as standard equipment on their vehicles.

As part of NHTSA’s vehicle theft prevention outreach, we work to inform vehicle owners about precautionary measures they can take to help reduce and deter the theft of their motor vehicles. By providing fact sheets, infographics, and other relevant information, we help educate consumers about the prominence of vehicle theft, identify high-theft areas by state, and give useful information about what to do and who to contact in the event a vehicle theft occurs. NHTSA also provides theft-rate data for continued consumer education and awareness about this problem. During the annual Vehicle Theft Prevention Month campaign, held every July, NHTSA highlights the potential for motor vehicle theft, preventive measures consumers should take, the importance of addressing the vehicle theft problem, and its significant economic impact.