LONG gone are the days when drivers could leave their personal belongings lying in their cars unattended without a second thought. Now, not only are motorists advised to take their bags with them or to lock them in the boot, they are also cautioned to keep their doors locked and windows closed. These warnings follow daily reports of car break-ins in all districts, police said yesterday.
According to the police press office, petty crime has increased tenfold over recent years, with more and more people reporting their vehicles broken into. Despite the increase, however, people have still not grasped the need to take precautionary measures to ensure their belongings are not stolen – sometimes from under their very noses.
They Cyprus Mail yesterday contacted at least a dozen security alarm providers and only one had sold car alarms in the past. In fact, it had even stopped importing the device because it was not a big seller, and had no plans to resume importing it.
Car dealers also said very few consumers asked for a car alarm to be included as part of the package when placing an order for a new vehicle. “People just don’t associate car break-ins with Cyprus. They blame themselves for leaving their bag exposed on the passenger seat, but don’t think that an increase in petty crime is to blame or that a car alarm could ward off thieves,” they said.
Nevertheless, police said it had not yet come to the point where car alarms were necessary. “Although crime has increased and we receive complaints of break-ins on a daily basis, the situation is not yet out of control,” said police, although seven car break-ins were reported in Limassol alone at the weekend.
Police said the culprits were often drug addicts who needed cash fast to purchase their next fix and focused on stealing bags and purses. The incidents took place either at night or in broad daylight and were normally carried out by youths, aged 15 to 20, who tended to break into more than one car at a time. “We have arrested people in the past and in the end they admit responsibility for six or seven other car break-ins,” police said.
In order to limit the problem, police said drivers should refrain from leaving valuable items in clear view. “If they cannot take the item out of the car with them then they should lock it in the boot,” said police.
“Unfortunately police cannot monitor all cars on a 24-hour basis and thieves often break into cars in public areas where there is less security. Thieves do not target cars by chance. They are chosen and therefore a forgotten bag, purse, mobile phone or valuable possession will attract attention.”
Parked cars should be locked and their windows completely wound up and drivers should avoid parking in remote areas or somewhere with inadequate lighting.
“Long gone are the days when you could stop somewhere, leave your keys on the ignition and your purse on the dashboard and come back and find everything as you left it. Nowadays you run a real risk of having your vehicle broken into,” added police.
