CRIME PREVENTION MESSAGE FROM NCSO
Yulee, Fla. – The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind motorists to keep vehicle doors locked at all times.
“Recently throughout Nassau County and across the nation there has been an increase in car burglaries using a crime trend that we refer to as Car Hopping. As such I want to give some simple steps people can take to avoid becoming the victim of a car burglary”, said Sheriff Bill Leeper.
Car Hopping is a technique that criminals use to gain access to as many cars as possible in a neighborhood or parking lot. The perpetrators simply go from car to car and look for vehicles with unlocked doors or cars that have items in plain view that criminals would love to get their hands on. We most often see these types of crimes occurring during the early morning hours in a neighborhood. The criminals are looking for anything of value including cash, change, prescription medicine, portable electronic devices, firearms, jewelry, and even purses and billfolds that have inadvertently been left inside the vehicle.
The following simple techniques can help you and your family protect your property and vehicle from becoming the victim of Car Hopping.
1) ALWAYS LOCK YOUR CAR AND SET YOUR ALARM WHEN PARKING OUTSIDE
2) WHEN POSSIBLE PARK YOUR CAR INSIDE A GARAGE
3) NEVER LEAVE VALUABLES IN PLAIN VIEW INSIDE THE PASSENGER AREA OF THE VEHICLE
4) AVOID LEAVING PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN PLAIN SIGHT
5) NEVER LEAVE PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES IN YOUR CAR, ESPECIALLY IN PLAIN VIEW
6) PARK AS CLOSE TO YOUR HOUSE AS YOU CAN AND WHEN POSSIBLE AVOID PARKING ALONG THE STREET
7) WHEN SHOPPING NEVER LEAVE PACKAGES OR ITEMS IN OPEN VIEW BUT INSTEAD STORE THEM SECURELY IN THE TRUNK
8) TRY TO PARK YOUR VEHICLE IN WELL LIGHTED AREAS OR DRIVEWAYS AND USE MOTION SENSORS ON EXTERNAL LIGHTING
