Mt. Laurel Police offer tips to prevent items being stolen from vehicles

The Mt. Laurel Police Department notes that regular readers of its Police Blotter might notice that almost every week the department takes reports from victims who have had valuables stolen from their cars.

In most cases the vehicles were left unlocked. In other cases criminals who could see valuables left in view by their owners broke the vehicle’s windows.

Due to these common occurrences, the department is offering the following tips to prevent such thefts:

— Always lock a vehicle’s doors

— Do not leave purses, wallets, laptops, expensive sun glasses, cell phones and other valuables in avehicle

— Never leave valuables in plain sight — lock them in the trunk or take them out of the vehicle when exiting

— Never leave cash visible, even change

— Always close a vehicle’s windows

— Take keys from the vehicle every time

— Take purses and wallets inside one’s house after having lock and parked a car in your garage

— When equipment or tools must be kept in a vehicle, use a strong-walled, tamper proof box that can be bolted down and secured with heavy-duty locks. Do not assume a box is secure because it is heavy