Don't make stealing cars easy for thieves.
Car thefts have been steadily on the rise since COVID-related lockdowns started earlier in the year, but it turns out that a little due diligence goes a long way in assuring your vehicle – and possessions – don't walk off in the night. Spoiler alert, it's going to take a lot more than a manual transmission to stop a determined thief.
According to a report from NBC New York, areas of the state are seeing a massive spike in car thefts due mainly to cars being left unlocked and, in some cases, the key fobs being left in the vehicle as well. That's right, while some criminals need advanced key fob cloning technology to steal cars, which is how the Jaguar SUV owned by Need For Speed's Dominic Cooper was recently stolen, a number of thieves are successful just by opening the unlocked door and finding the key in the vehicle.
One area hit especially hard by car thefts is New York's Westchester County, which is sandwiched between New Jersey and Connecticut. The report says that Scarsdale, New York has seen the cases of stolen cars increase 2,000 percent year over year, while nearby Rye Brook has seen a 1,200 percent increase in the same period. And we're not talking about high-end vehicles being swiped either as the most stolen nameplate from this area is the Honda CR-V.
Even if you take your keys, leaving your car unlocked is literally opening the door for thieves to rifle through your belongings. While New York is seeing a spike in stolen cars, WSB-TV is reporting that the Atlanta police is seeing an increase in gun thefts from vehicle break-ins. One area of Atlanta has seen a 25 percent increase in vehicle break-ins, and this has led to around 700 guns being stolen.
The easiest way to prevent your car from being stolen include keeping your vehicle locked and secured at all times, and be sure to keep any valuables out of sight, if possible.
Source: NBC New York, WSB-TV
