Burglary of Motor Vehicle

Each year in Dallas more than 20,000 cars and trucks are broken into and property removed.  That's about 50 vehicles each day.

Most of the property stolen is "portable", or not affixed to the vehicle.  Everything from GPS units, radar detectors, purses, briefcases, phones, money - you name it.

Since most property is portable, most of the offenses are preventable.  Here's how:

TAKE your property with you when you leave your vehicle.  For items with mounts (IE radar detectors and GPS units), remove the mounts also and hide them.  Hint:  Suction cup mounts will often leave a ring on the window.  Thieves will look for this, and even if the GPS/Radar Detector (or whatever) isn't there, they'll break in and look around inside the vehicle.  So, clean off those rings before leaving your vehicle.

LOCK your vehicle.  Sure, someone can break the window and get inside, but if you've left nothing visible inside, there's little incentive to do so.  A (potential) thief will usually just move on to an easier target.   If the vehicle is unlocked, however, a thief often will take a look inside.  So, lock your vehicle when you park.

HIDE property you cannot take with you.  Hide it under the seat or in the trunk.  One caveat;  Don't hide the property while parked in area you're going to leave the vehicle.  If you do, and a thief is "staking out" the parking lot (and often they do), they'll see you hide the property, and break in and take it after you leave.  Stop before you arrive at the parking lot/garage and hide the property, then drive to your parking area.  But please don't stop on the side of the freeway, or side of the road, where you could be hit.  PIck a safe spot to stop.