TIPS ON KEEPING YOUR VEHICLE AND VALUABLES SAFE

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The Ocean City Police Department would like to provide a few tips on how you can keep your vehicle and valuables safe.

The Ocean City Police Department recommends the following:

• Lock ALL of your vehicle’s doors: This is true even if you plan on only being gone for “just a second”. Remember, it only takes seconds to steal items from your car. It’s not uncommon, for thieves to walk down a row of parked vehicles, looking for unlocked doors. Also, make sure car windows aren’t left open.
• Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle: You’d be surprised how often this happens, but individuals leave valuable items in plain sight all the time. If you leave items in your vehicle and they’re visible, the chances your vehicle will get broken into, increase greatly.
• Place items out of sight before reaching your destination: Someone may be watching when you put your valuables under a seat or in the trunk and the moment you’re gone, a thief could break into your car. So place those items in a safe place before you head to the park, beach, baseball game, etc. Valuable items that thieves target are GPS units, credit cards, money, packages, and so forth. If you can’t take the items with you, secure them in a safe place in your vehicle, like a locked glove compartment or your trunk.
• Avoid leaving packages or shopping bags out in the open: Lock them into your trunk, if you have to leave the vehicle unattended. Never open a trunk, fill it full of valuables, close it, and then just walk away.
• Park in busy, well-lit areas: Pick a parking spot where there is a lot of activity. Auto thieves prefer breaking into cars in isolated areas.
• Don’t leave a trace: Don’t leave any sign that there might be valuables “out of sight” in your vehicle. For example, the suction cup on your dashboard might tell thieves, that you have a GPS in your vehicle. Leave nothing in plain view. Very few auto break-ins are “random”. The thieves usually see something out in the open or hints of possible hidden valuables.
• Alarms or anti-theft devices work: Thieves are usually looking for the “easiest” target. If your car has an alarm, it could act as a deterrent. But don’t make this common mistake: Just because you have an alarm, doesn’t mean thieves won’t break in IF you leave valuable items in plain sight.
• Don’t leave spare keys in your vehicle: An experienced thief knows all the hiding places. Store spare keys elsewhere, possibly your wallet or purse.
• Don’t leave your driver’s license or title in the vehicle.
• Keep a record of the VIN, license plate number, and insurance information in your wallet or purse.

If your vehicle is stolen or property is taken from the vehicle, there are several things you can and should do:

• Call the Ocean City Police Department immediately.
• Provide a complete description of the items that were stolen.
• Also, provide your license plate number, make and model of vehicle, year and color, plus VIN and insurance company.

The Ocean City Police Department is prepared and proactively handling criminal violations and citizen complaints of illegal activity to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors. We want to remind citizens that if they see something suspicious, or have concerns about possible criminal activity occurring in Ocean City, reach out to us. We encourage you to call our Tip Line at 410-520-5136, email us at crimetips@oceancitymd.gov or contact the Police Department directly at 410-723-6610.