Lock your car doors and windows

Police in Rochdale are urging residents to keep their vehicles more secure and to help them reduce car crime in the area.

Amazingly, criminals get into a quarter of vehicles because windows and doors have been left unlocked. Motorists who don't lock up their vehicle are making themselves easy prey to thieves and although the latest figures show that vehicle theft is down on last year, police say that the public could do more to keep their vehicles safe and secure.

Leaving valuables on view in a car is also an open invitation for thieves to help themselves to a wide range of possessions. Particularly vulnerable are satellite navigation systems, CD and radio systems and mobile phones.

In the last three months about one a day of each of these electrical items have been stolen from cars in Rochdale. Tools, cash, clothing and CDs left on view are also regularly targeted.

Further carelessness such as leaving cars in unlit, secluded streets, car parks that are unlit, not staffed and without CCTV and leaving the car on the street rather than in a garage is also making life easier for local car thieves.

Most offences were committed during the night in Heywood, Rochdale Town Centre, Langley, Hopwood North, Milnrow, Newbold and Waithlands and Townhead and Foxholes.

Chief Inspector James Troisi from Rochdale division said: “We are working hard to bring car crime down in Rochdale and having some success. For example, there has been a 50 per cent reduction in overall vehicle crime in Rochdale South between January and March 2009 compared to the same three months last year and there was a 34 per cent reduction in Rochdale North.

“This is good news and we are determined to reduce car crime even further. The public can make life hard for these criminals and this is achieved by residents being a little bit more careful. By following the simple advice given here people can keep themselves and their vehicles safe and help us to drive car thieves out of Rochdale.”