Theft from/of vehicles is always an ongoing problem, and one that impacts cities, suburbs, and towns such as Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff.
In Wyckoff, Chief Benjamin Fox is seeking to promote the “Lock It, or Lose It” campaign that has been succesful in communities across the United States and Canada in preventing a very preventable crime.
In March a 2007 BMW from Wyckoff, with keys in the iginition, was stolen during the overnight hours from the driveway of a Crankshaw Place home. In February, a 1997 Toyota was stolen in Oakland and eventually recovered in Wyckoff, and again the keys had been left in the ignition.
The situation has been the same for cars where money and electronic gadgets & devices have been reported stolen – the cars were left unlocked.
As reported by local police, many of these crimes are one of opportunity. It only takes seconds for a thief to do his business, making it very difficult for police officers to catch the crime in progress. The “Lock It or Lose It” campaign promotes shared responsibility amongst residents to prevent a preventable crime.
When citizens secure their property and take basic crime prevention steps, there is a significant reduction crime.
Residents are the key to combating these crimes of opportunity. Keep these tips in mind to protect your valuables:
- Always keep your vehicle locked…even if you are only leaving it for a few minutes— it only takes seconds to be robbed.
- Remove valuable items from your car or place them in the trunk
Remember, not everyone has an iPod, a GPS, a laptop, or some spare cash, and they might just decide to take yours if the opportunity exists.