Car thefts

[Bobr]

3,392 Fiestas were stolen in 2020 (Mine was one of them).

Police advice is as follows:   (bear in mind that thieves will break into your home to steal your car keys.)

Don't leave your car keys on view or placed near windows, doors, or cat-flaps where thieves can see them.

Don't leave valuables on display. Move handbags, wallets or other valuables out of sight.

Ensure you lock all doors and windows, even when you are at home.

Look like you are in when you are out. If no one is home during the evening, leave a light on or a radio playing. Consider using a timing device.

Don't help the thief. Lock away tools, ladders or other implements outside that thieves could use to gain entry to your home or garage.

Fit outside security lighting and an alarm, and ensure they are in working order. Don't forget to turn them on when you are out and when you go to bed.

Remember to lock all gates, sheds and garage doors.

Always lock your car and fit a tracking device if finances allow. Trackers give a much better chance of your car being found. Consider using other devices such as steering locks or wheel clamps.

If you don't have a garage, consider fitting sturdy gates to your driveway or always use your garage if you have one, and never leave your car keys in your car.

 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

👍 Good advice there, Bob.

I suppose it's no surprise the Fiesta is Britain's most stolen car as it's also been the most popular (or thereabouts) car for years. At least the scrotes have good taste!

As the article below shows though the premium brands are proportionately more likely to be stolen in terms of thefts per 1000 vehickes.

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/the-uks-top-15-most-stolen-cars-in-2020-are-revealed/215294

[Bobr]

I wasn't surprised either Roger.   Six cars have been stolen around here since mine went and they were all Fiestas.

[Mavroz]

And I bet plod haven't caught anyone, questioned anyone, have any Intel and seriously doubt many if any have been recovered.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

3 minutes ago, Mavroz said:

And I bet plod haven't caught anyone, questioned anyone, have any Intel and seriously doubt many if any have been recovered.

I've had 2 cars stolen in my time, in 1972 and 1990. In both cases the Police response was excellent, both cars were recovered in 2/3 days. The first one was undamaged (except they'd stolen my swimming trunks and towel for some bizarre reason) the second unfortunately was quite badly damaged but successfully repaired.

I'm not confident the same would happen today, though - and hopefully won't find out if following the measures Bob mentions!

[TomsFocus]

If you have communal parking, paint a different number on your bay!  The thieves will break into 28 when you live in 23...  

[Mavroz]

Haha, totally agree. 3 decades ago nearly, policing was efficient and effective... now?? 

[Mavroz]

Just now, TomsFocus said:

If you have communal parking, paint a different number on your bay!  The thieves will break into 28 when you live in 23...  

Haha, like it.😂

[Bobr]

21 minutes ago, Mavroz said:

And I bet plod haven't caught anyone, questioned anyone, have any Intel and seriously doubt many if any have been recovered.

Not one recovered.   The police told me that they were being stolen to order as they were all 17 plate Titanium models.

[Wino]

It's on the rise unfortunately. 3 Focus STs gone locally within the last week.

Synters ( BMW) also got turned over last Sunday evening/ Monday morning.

[Mavroz]

What amazes me is that the police have recruited seriously over the last 2 or 3 years, that has been no secret as per the News.

At the present time, there are no pubs, no town centre trouble hotspots on a weekend, there are no sporting events to police, there have been less vehicles on the road and there have been very few public events.

So can anyone tell me where all these police are, what they are actually doing as I presume none of them have been furloughed... ??

It escapes me where they are as you very rarely see patrol cars let alone walking or cycling...

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Must be busy with lockdown breakers. Two friends of ours (a widow and a divorcee) have been stopped and questioned twice while taking a distanced stroll together in a local park. Lucky it wasn't the Met or they'd probably have been cuffed as well.

[Paulkp]

Not just newish cars either....

https://twitter.com/StolenOSFs

https://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/blog/events/thieves-target-ford-cortinas

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35716456

Keep your Classic well hidden.

 

[unofix]

This is not an advert - you should watch the 10 or so videos on You Tube from a company called "AutomatricsMTrack" to see just how uninterested and unresponsive the police are even when a stolen car is tracked and found. Very sad !

[williamweb]

15 hours ago, Mavroz said:

What amazes me is that the police have recruited seriously over the last 2 or 3 years, that has been no secret as per the News.

At the present time, there are no pubs, no town centre trouble hotspots on a weekend, there are no sporting events to police, there have been less vehicles on the road and there have been very few public events.

So can anyone tell me where all these police are, what they are actually doing as I presume none of them have been furloughed... ??

It escapes me where they are as you very rarely see patrol cars let alone walking or cycling...

The latest recruitment drive has apparently produced around an extra 7000 officers out of the 20000 target, so i can imagine they’re spread thinly.There’s been a lot of chat about police spending too much time on social media tackling offensive posts; a non crime, crime is the jargon.The world is going crazy👍

[colin79666]

I’m not so sure about hiding the keys away. Sure I don’t leave them in sight of the door or windows (and in a Faraday bag) but I’d rather if a thief has broken into my house in the night that they grab the keys and go. Better that than them ransacking the house or worse still coming upstairs to where I’m sleeping and having a face off with a knife wielding yob. 

[Bobr]

3 hours ago, Mavroz said:

What amazes me is that the police have recruited seriously over the last 2 or 3 years, that has been no secret as per the News.

So can anyone tell me where all these police are, what they are actually doing as I presume none of them have been furloughed... ??

It escapes me where they are as you very rarely see patrol cars let alone walking or cycling...

I live near the junction of the A610 and the M1.   Believe me we see an awful lot of police cars.   The government reckon that 7000 extra police have been recruited in the past three years.   However, they don't tell you about the wastage.   As a retired cop I know a lot of ex and serving police personnel.   Not many serve to retirement these days.   They are mostly fed up to the back teeth with not being able to put a foot wrong, nor a word wrong and not being able to defend themselves without a load of idiots shoving smart phone cameras in their faces.   In my day (50s onward) if I was assaulted the assaulter got a ruddy good hiding but nowadays they daren't raise a hand in self defence.   Believe it or not I went into one of my old stations recently.   Invited into the mess room for a coffee I was told to be very careful as the room was bugged.   Out of that 7000 extra cops I doubt if there was an increase of 1000.

[Mavroz]

I understand what you are saying but what I was saying is where are they all? They have very little to police during the current lockdown(s) other than the odd "illegal" barbecues or gatherings.

Seems strange they have just vanished. I spend a lot of time in and around Hull and see very little of them or hear very little other than they still don't want to attend attempted thefts, break ins, blah, blah, blah.

Police don't have to beat people, they don't have to act the way they do most of the time. If they were more amenable, approachable then people would not have the need to record Police behaviour. Recent events on the TV shows what they can be like and in all reality are like.

All we need is a "presence", regular patrols, get them out of cars, get them away from takeaway carparks, get them in pairs walking streets and known crime areas..... surely it isn't rocket science is it?

Maybe it is the area and it is why Humberside Police are one of the worst forces in the country for their failings especially failing the public.

I haven't had any faith in the police for a long, long time and unfortunately this has not improved with the extra recruits they have employed from the public purse.

Again, It is my personal opinion but I think it is shameful they have come to this.

Anyway, this has gone way off topic and needs to keep on track.

 

[williamweb]

13 minutes ago, Mavroz said:

I understand what you are saying but what I was saying is where are they all? They have very little to police during the current lockdown(s) other than the odd "illegal" barbecues or gatherings.

Seems strange they have just vanished. I spend a lot of time in and around Hull and see very little of them or hear very little other than they still don't want to attend attempted thefts, break ins, blah, blah, blah.

Police don't have to beat people, they don't have to act the way they do most of the time. If they were more amenable, approachable then people would not have the need to record Police behaviour. Recent events on the TV shows what they can be like and in all reality are like.

All we need is a "presence", regular patrols, get them out of cars, get them away from takeaway carparks, get them in pairs walking streets and known crime areas..... surely it isn't rocket science is it?

Maybe it is the area and it is why Humberside Police are one of the worst forces in the country for their failings especially failing the public.

I haven't had any faith in the police for a long, long time and unfortunately this has not improved with the extra recruits they have employed from the public purse.

Again, It is my personal opinion but I think it is shameful they have come to this.

Anyway, this has gone way off topic and needs to keep on track.

 

Living in a village as a child I can remember two houses being built dedicated for police officers and their families.Any trouble in the village and we knew who’s door to knock on.Can’t see that happening nowadays.why not I say👍

[DieselPig]

Yes, where is plod?

Went to pick my car up from a distant garage (70+ miles) and I was worried plod would send me home.

Didn't see one on the way there or back!

[TomsFocus]

They must all be down here.  I'm seeing more police cars here now than ever before...  I think they're just out cruising around blasting tunes on the radio to give the visual presence that you're after.  

On a serious note though, they're dealing with 'human' related crimes, domestic violence etc.  Why would they care about car thefts?  They can just give you a crime number and let the insurance sort it out.

[unofix]

Ah !! Tom, sorry but your wrong. The police don't like to get involved with "domestics" as they like to call them, but will act surprised when it ends up as murder and will hold an investigation to see if they could have done anything better.

[Wino]

13 hours ago, Bobr said:

I live near the junction of the A610 and the M1.   Believe me we see an awful lot of police cars.   The government reckon that 7000 extra police have been recruited in the past three years.   However, they don't tell you about the wastage.   As a retired cop I know a lot of ex and serving police personnel.   Not many serve to retirement these days.   They are mostly fed up to the back teeth with not being able to put a foot wrong, nor a word wrong and not being able to defend themselves without a load of idiots shoving smart phone cameras in their faces.   In my day (50s onward) if I was assaulted the assaulter got a ruddy good hiding but nowadays they daren't raise a hand in self defence.   Believe it or not I went into one of my old stations recently.   Invited into the mess room for a coffee I was told to be very careful as the room was bugged.   Out of that 7000 extra cops I doubt if there was an increase of 1000.

Isnt that where the PoliceTraffic Headquarters are ? Just off the M1 nr or on the A610 roundabout as you exit the motorway?

[Bobr]

57 minutes ago, Wino said:

Isnt that where the PoliceTraffic Headquarters are ? Just off the M1 nr or on the A610 roundabout as you exit the motorway?

Derbyshire Police HQ are just outside Ripley.   Notts is at Sherwood Lodge Arnold.   There isn't a traffic HQ any longer as the Notts police now share facilities with the Fire Brigade.

[Wino]

3 hours ago, Bobr said:

Derbyshire Police HQ are just outside Ripley.   Notts is at Sherwood Lodge Arnold.   There isn't a traffic HQ any longer as the Notts police now share facilities with the Fire Brigade.

Used to work in those areas amongst many others stretching from Bolsover NE Derbyshire to Just out side Leek.