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Gardai launch crime prevention drive

Thursday, 24 April 2008

GARDAI in Finglas are reaching out to locals this week in an effort to increase awareness of crime prevention.
Officers from the Finglas Crime Prevention Unit will man stands outside Tesco Clearwater on Wednesday (April 23) and the new Charlestown Shopping Centre on Friday (April 25) to hand out leaflets and advice on keeping cars and property safe from thieves.
Sergeant Shane McCartan from Finglas Garda Station said preventing car thefts and break-ins will form a major part of the awareness initiative.
“We’re trying to get the message across that it’s easier to prevent crime that to report it afterwards,” he told Northside People.
Sergeant McCartan says that many car owners still leave valuables like personal documents, vehicle registration details and even credit cards in their cars.
“Leaving valuables visible in your car or van can be an open invitation to thieves,” he said.
“If a thief sees it he'll want to steal it. By taking simple precautions such as locking property in the boot of a car you can significantly improve your chances of not becoming a victim of this type of crime.”
Finglas crime prevention gardai say that if motorists have to drive with valuables in their car they should put them in the boot before they park, away from the watchful eyes of would-be thieves.
“Close all windows and lock all doors,” is the advice from Sgt McCartan.
“Park in well lit or visible areas and use attended car parks where possible. If you have a garage or driveway - use it.”
Car thieves will often pass up cars that don’t have any valuables on show in favour of a vehicle that looks like it has something worth stealing inside.
Gardai say owners should remove the face plate from car radios or at the very least hide it somewhere where it can’t be seen.
They also advise removing any visible cables or mounts and cleaning ‘ring marks’ from the windscreen as thieves will assume that there’s a Sat Nav in the glove compartment.
Placing Sat Nav mounts and iPod cables under the car seat can also deter thieves, most of whom are looking for an easy ‘touch’. If they can’t see any valuables, chances are they’ll move onto the next car.
Other advice from Finglas gardai includes:
l Not leaving your car park ticket in your car in attended car parks as thieves can then use it to make a getaway after stealing your vehicle.
l Watch out for suspicious people or vehicles when entering car parks with automatic gates. They may be waiting to follow you in. When you drive in, wait until the gates close after you.
l Report any suspicious activity at the earliest opportunity.
l If you have anti-theft devices, use them.
l Never leave your car running when you run into a shop or a neighbours house. It only takes a second for an opportunist thief to jump in and drive away.

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