Sat Nav Systems - Don't Let Thieves Have An Easy Ride

Police in Warwickshire have issued a warning to owners of portable in car, Satellite Navigation Systems after a sharp rise in the numbers being stolen from cars.

The "Sat Nav" devices, often costing hundreds of pounds, affix to the inside of the car windscreen by a suction pad and are highly visible.

They are also very easily removable, both by their rightful owners, and by thieves if they are left unattended and on view in a parked car.

In the past two weeks nine have been reported stolen to police in the North Warwickshire area alone.

Now police are urging motorists to make sure they disconnect their Sat Nav everytime they leave their car, and take the electronic route finder with them. They should also make sure they remove the suction mounted fitting from the windscreen as this gives potential thieves a strong indication that the car has a Sat Nav device which may still be somewhere inside the vehicle.

Detective Sergeant Martyn Stephens, from the Northern Area Community Safety Unit said, "In-car Sat Navs are becoming the thing to have. They are highly desirable and also costly items and unfortunately they are also very portable and easy to steal.

"Motorists need to take responsibility for their property and make sure they not only disconnect their Sat Nav device when they are leaving their vehicle, but also make sure they take it away with them. They are fairly small and will fit into a pocket or a briefcase.

Another factor to bear in mind is that the suction device used to affix the Sat Nav to the windscreen sometimes leaves a small mark when it is removed from the windscreen. Always wipe it away with a cloth as thieves may look for this mark as an indication that you have a Sat Nav device.

Police in North Warwickshire are also aware that thieves are using hi-tech equipment such as Blue Tooth technology which scans an area and is able to identify whether electronic equipment such as lap top computers have been left in a vehicle.

Police remind motorists they should not leave anything of value in their cars, even hidden out of sight in the boot as a thief will break in just to see if there is anything of value in the car.

Motorists are also advised to make sure they make a note of the serial number of their Sat Nav device and any other portable equipment they have and to keep the information in a safe place in case the device is stolen. Devices can also be security marked with SmartWater, or ultraviolet markers. Use of these systems will help to increase you chances of being re-united with your equipment if you are unfortunate enough to have it stolen and it is recovered by the police.

In car devices such as Sat Navs can also be registered with tracking agencies such as www.immobilize.com, a free service which enables your equipment to be registered nationally. The company is supported by all the major police forces and helps to reunite owners with their property if it is stolen and then recovered.