Vehicle theft continues to increase across the country. Stolen
vehicles are used for joyriding, chop-shop parts, and other
criminal activities. While car theft can not be avoided all
together, there are some 
pretty easy precautions you can
take to avoid the hassles
of losing your car.
Make the thief work for your car. You can do this by using
a layered security system.
Layer #1 (General):
- Do not attach any information to your keys that would identify
your car.
- Don’t use hide-a-keys. The thieves know all the hiding
places.
- Memorize your tag number.
- Keep the vehicle identification number (VIN) at home and
in your wallet.
- Do not leave registration papers or the title in the car,
lock them at home in a safe place.
- Give only the ignition key, or valet key, to a parking
attendant.
Layer #2 (Parking):
- Turn off the motor when the vehicle is not occupied.
- Keep the doors locked and the keys with you.
- Be sure that all valuables are out of sight an in the trunk.
- Do not stay parked in the same place for an extended period of time.
- When parking keep the emergency brake on and your wheels turned sharply
to the right or left.
- Park in well-lit areas and near other cars (or the attendant if there
is one).
- If you have two cars, always park the one that is harder to steal behind
the easy one, blocking it in.
- If you have a garage at your residence, use it.
Layer #3 (Security):
- Install a car alarm.
- Use a steering wheel club or other steering column lock.
- Some cars are pre-equipped with a smart key security device.
- Put in a fuel or ignition cut-off switch.
- There are commercial tracking devices available such as Lojack or On-Star.
