24 Hr Lockouts Logo

Lockout Tips

Don’t Leave Valuables in Your Car

don’t leave valuables in your car

24 HR Lockouts offers you this friendly reminder not the leave valuables in your car, especially when on summer vacation. These include wallets, purses, garage door openers, Laptops, ipads, iPods, cell phones, GPS, or even and especially firearms. Any bag that appears to have valuables inside could tempt a thief enough to break into your car.  There have been some cases recently area in which thieves were accessing the garage and the house via the garage, so please lock the door between the garage and the interior of your home and lock all windows and sliding doors.

You can also be good neighbors and watch out for each other. Report suspicious activity to the non-emergency number for law enforcement.

Make Them Feel Uncomfortable

Most theft is solitary work. Thieves do not want is a crowd of onlookers with cell phones and pepper spray in their hands, so try to keep your car conspicuous:

  • Park in busy lots and designated spaces, near pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
  • If there’s a chance you’ll be away from your car after dusk, park in a well-lit area or near a lamppost.
  • Choose a lot with an attendant over one without.

Make the Thieves Work Hard

Stealing small items from cars occasionally yields an unexpected bonanza like a wallet or iPad. But, many thieves go for small items because of their inherent amusement value (your MP3 player or phone). What a thief wants is fun or a bit of extra income for as little work as possible. By making your car a harder target for smash-and-grab theft, you make it less desirable. So:

  • Always lock your doors and roll up your windows when you park.
  • Activate your security system if you have one.
  • Consider window tinting (if permitted by local laws), since it makes the act of casing your car more time-consuming and conspicuous.
  • Avoid using the console or glove box as mobile lock boxes, since these are obvious to thieves, too.

Don’t Hand Them the Keys

Seeing the keys in the ignition is all it takes to compel someone to become an opportunistic thief. Keep in mind that if you have a great hiding place for a key – say, in your wheel well or above your sun visor – a thief has thought of it, too.

Move Personal Items Out of View in Advance

While the trunk is better than the passenger compartment for shopping bags and laptops, an experienced thief will often stake out a parking lot and watch you transfer your valuables. Move things before you get to your destination, and you’re a step ahead of the game.

Stay Alert

See suspicious activity? Trust your instincts: Don’t park there. And don’t confront anyone yourself. If you’re really concerned, report your suspicions to an attendant or the police.

We accept: We accept all major credit cards