Hawaii Island police are investigating a rash of auto thefts in East and West Hawaii and are cautioning the public to take precautions to deter would-be thieves. This includes tires and after market rims.
“One significant factor in preventing your vehicle from being stolen is simply to remove the keys from the ignition and not leave a spare anywhere in the vehicle,” said Capt. Gregory Esteban of the Area I Criminal Investigations Section.
He noted that keys left in a vehicle often have house keys on the same key ring, which can lead to potential burglaries along with auto thefts.
Esteban offers these additional steps:
* Lock your vehicle.
* Consider adding wheel-locks
* Never hide a second set of keys in your vehicle.
* Park in attended lots.
* If you use valet parking, leave only the ignition/door key.
* Park in well-lit areas.
* Never leave your vehicle running when unattended, even if you will be gone for only a minute.
* When fueling your vehicle at a gas station, remove the ignition key, conceal any valuables and lock your doors.
* Completely close all windows of parked vehicles.
* Do not leave valuables or paperwork in plain sight.
* Park with your wheels turned toward the curb to make your vehicle more difficult to tow.
* Set your emergency brake when parking your vehicle to make it more difficult to tow.
* Back a rear-wheel-drive vehicle into your driveway to make it more difficult to tow. If you have a garage, park your vehicle in it and lock it.
“Owners may also want to consider arming their vehicles with an alarm system or a steering wheel lock to further act as a theft deterrent,” Esteban said. “Although these are not 100 percent theft proof, the installation of these and similar devices may discourage would-be thieves and protect your property.”
