Steve Mensing, Editor
♦ Okay it’s morning in Salisbury, N.C. or just about anywhere in Rowan County and as you walk out of your old “Home Sweet Homeski” you notice your pimped out junker has its side window busted out. Maybe some homeless dude is “speaking in tongues” bunked out in your front passenger seat? It flashes though your mind: “Why me?”
“Well, why not you?” Stuff happens to vehicles on a regular basis in the “Bury” and the county. The odds are high that your life will be invaded by unwanted forces. Our area is crawling with repeat offender vehicular break-in artists, smash n’ grabbers, and joy-riding car rustlers. They regularly check in and out of Rowan County Detention Center and the next day are skulking through your neighborhood looking for “fresh loot”. Maybe that coin sock in your glove compartment or a half-consumed bag of tater chips left carelessly on your front seat? Bingo!
Okay how do we lower the odds of running afoul of the teaming hordes of vehicular break-in artists waiting for us and our vehicles in an unguarded moment? Here’s what experience and my friends in law enforcement tout. Listen up and you are liable to save money at the car window repair shop or arguing with some predatory insurance adjuster.
Top Tips for Protecting Your Vehicle from Break-in Artists
• Never ever leave anything of even limited value inside your vehicle. Knapsacks, computer bags, purses, wallets, cell phone cords, boxes, plastic bags, coin socks, change, a weapon or anything that would attract some impulsive soul to do a smash n’ grab or jimmy a door lock. Leave nothing in sight in your vehicle to attract petty thieves or you will be cleaning glass off your car seats. Guaranteed.
• Always lock your doors even though that offers limited protection against someone armed with a 5 pound rock or jailhouse “locksmith” savvy. Your garden variety break-in artist is seldom dissuaded by locks or even facing a bunk at the “big house”. Check your locks to see if they are clicked shut
• Having a SCREAMING car alarm installed in your car will have some effect, but usually after your windows are cobwebbed and blasted through. A really experienced vehicle desperado can tolerate horn blasts and sirens at least as long as it takes to quickly score stuff and beat it before the po po arrive.
• If you see someone checking out cars in your hood or in your driveway, call 911. A good hearty “Yo!” from the front door or rapping keys on your window will often send our unwanted visitors scurrying. The ominous pump of a shotgun has even more effect.
• Keep your windows closed, accepting the fact that break-in artists often employ “rocking” to break windows and scoot off with some booty. Every barrier you can put in place is one more element to make your vehicle uninteresting to thieves.
• Don’t live in an area that has excess amounts of vehicle break-in artists. Check out the area’s FBI crime stats.
• If you have to put anything in your vehicle, only put it in your secured trunk. Sometimes you’ll have to do this when you are out shopping.
• Know that thieves case shopping centers, Downtown shopping areas, and supermarket parking lots. Keep your vehicles away from those much hit areas at night.
• Deck your vehicle’s windows out with alarm decals–make your vehicle appear scary.
Best of luck!
