| Text Release Date and Time: 2009-12-08 08
Contacts
Sgt Stull
Medicine Hat Police Service
Wendy Mah | Program Coordinator
Advocacy and Community Services
Alberta Motor Association
Box 8180, Station South | Edmonton, AB | T6H 5X9
Phone: 780 430 2431 | Fax: 780 430 4861 | Cell: 780 233 4316
wendy.mah@ama.ab.ca | www.ama.ab.ca
Text Release Date and Time: 2009-12-08 08
Don't make your vehicle or its contents a Christmas gift for thieves
You've stuck to your budget, crossed everyone off your list and taken breaks
during a busy shopping day to take your purchases out to your vehicle. It's
been a productive day of Christmas shopping, but little did you know that
while you were running back and forth from your vehicle, a thief was watching
the whole time. By not putting valuables out of site in your vehicle, you've
given a thief the opportunity to cross things off their list using your
gifts.
Medicine Hat Police Service, in partnership with AMA, is launching an "All
Valuables Removed" Awareness Campaign. Members of the Medicine Hat Police
Service will be in the parking lots of local retail shopping outlets checking
and conversing with shoppers on how to keep your valuables safe and to protect
yourself from vehicle theft this holiday season.
Aside from Christmas purchases during the holiday season, the most common
items stolen from vehicles include:
- Laptops
- Radar detectors
- Shopping packages
- Purses
- CD's
- Stereos
- MP3 players
- Briefcases
- Tools
- Personal documents
By taking these additional steps, you'll also be helping reduce your risk of
becoming a victim of pre-Christmas theft of your vehicle or its contents:
- Park in well-lit, high-traffic areas
- Remove all keys from your vehicle, including any spares
- Lock all your doors and be sure all your windows are completely closed
- Hide your valuables out of sight, ideally in the trunk, or take them
with you
- Use a theft deterrent device such as a steering wheel lock, car alarm or
immobilizer
- Take advantage of holiday services like parcel and coats checks, and
free gift-wrapping services to keep your purchases safe until you're done
shopping for the day
All Valuables Removed placards are available at the Medicine Hat Police
Service station and the Medicine Hat AMA centre. The placards are s a
deterrent to would-be thieves as there's nothing of value in your vehicle.
Thieves act
quickly on opportunities, so by removing any temptations, they'll be more
likely to just walk on by. |
Office of the Chief
