Police issue warning about deliberately leaving cars unlocked

Police are warning residents against deliberately leaving their cars unlocked to stop property damage.

Officers say residents of St Albans are routinely leaving their vehicles insecure in a misguided attempt to stop opportunist thieves from smashing their windows.

However, the statistics show that out of 26 thefts over the three weeks up to November 20, only two windows were broken.

In nineteen of these cases the vehicles had been left unlocked. Sixteen of them were in St Albans, seven in London Colney, and three in Harpenden.

Stolen items from secure vehicles include power tools, number plates, and vehicle parts.

Harpenden Rural Safer Neighbourhood Sgt Jordon Fox said: “The truth is the majority of our offenders don’t want to get caught by breaking glass when they can easily find a car that is unlocked.”

Herts police has released footage of an opportunist offender trying car doors, to try and persuade people against this tactic.

Sgt Fox added: “If residents locked their cars and removed laptops, phones, cash and other valuables, we could reduce thefts from motor vehicles by as much as 80 to 90 per cent.”