Police seem to constantly remind
drivers to lock their doors and to store anything in their car trunks to
prevent car prowlers from breaking in and stealing valuables and the not so
valuables. It also seems like car prowls are not getting any better.
PEMCO Insurance, in a recent survey,
asked consumers about their attitudes towards car prowls and what actions they
take to protect themselves from car prowls.
A little more than half, 55%, of
people in Washington State are either extremely concern (9%), very concerned
(12%), or somewhat concerned, (34%) about car prowls in their neighborhoods. That
leaves 44% who are not very concerned (33%) or not at all concerned (11%).
PEMCO then asked what people do to
prevent car prowls. 86% of Washingtonians said that they lock their vehicle
doors. 73% said that they remove valuables or place them out of sight. 47% said
that they use an electronic alarm system. This is good news in that it shows that
most people follow the recommendations that police have been making to lock
their doors and remove valuables when they park their vehicles.
Criminals are opportunists and car
prowls keep happening. While 73% of people say they hide valuables, that means
that 27% do not. While this may be an oversimplification, if you think of the parking
lot at a shopping center with 27% of the vehicles with stuff visible in them,
then you can conclude that that parking lot is good pickings for a car prowler.
No wonder we keep hearing about car prowls.
If you are among the few who do
not lock your vehicle or hide valuables, get in the habit of taking away
opportunity for car prowlers by locking your vehicle and hiding valuables.
PEMCO Insurance:
Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:
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