During the cold weather months, most car owners want to have a warm car to get in when leaving their home, work, or during a quick stop at a store or gas station. Starting your car and leaving it unattended, even in your own driveway, creates a preventable crime of opportunity to anyone that is walking by. The cold winter months are the leading reason for thefts due to unattended vehicles, whether it is stealing items in your car or the car itself. 

In order to help prevent the theft of your vehicle, here are some simple tips:

• Never leave your vehicle running, unoccupied, and unlocked for any amount of time or at any location-no matter how short of a time you may be away from your car;

• Never leave spare keys inside your vehicle;

• Never leave items of value in plain view inside your car, which will also draw attention of would-be thieves;

• Park your car in well-lit areas if possible;

• Always lock your vehicle, even when parked at your home-almost every theft of a car or theft from a car is a result of the car being left unlocked;

• Contact 911 immediately if you see anyone that you do not know pulling on car door handles in your neighborhood or looking into parked cars, especially at night.