Full Notification

From January, 2013 to April, 2013, The Tustin Police Department has seen an increase in vehicle thefts throughout the City as compared to January, 2012 to April, 2012. Honda Accords, Honda Civics, and Toyota Corolla’s are among the most common vehicles stolen. Please inform your family, friends, and neighbors to take measures to prevent their vehicles from being stolen!

MAKE YOUR CAR INCONVENIENT TO THIEVES!

An unlocked vehicle with a key in the ignition is an open invitation to any thief, regardless of which antitheft device you use. You should always secure your vehicle, even if parking for brief periods by:

•Parking your car in a locked garage, if possible.
•If you don’t have a garage or driveway, park your car on a well lit street in a well traveled area, if possible.
•Close your car windows and sunroof when parking your car.
•Never leave your car unattended with the motor running, even for a second.

WARNING DEVICES - The second layer of protection is a visible or audible device which alerts thieves that your vehicle is protected. Popular devices include:

•Steering wheel locks such as “ the club” or column locks
•Purchase an alarm for your vehicle
•Brake locks
•Laminated glass
•Theft deterrent decals

IMMOBILIZING DEVICE - The third layer of protection is a device which prevents thieves from bypassing your ignition and hotwiring the vehicle. Some electronic devices have computer chips in ignition keys. Other devices inhibit the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine until a hidden switch or button is activated. Popular devices include:

•Smart keys
•High security locks & keys
•Kill switches
•Starter, ignition and fuel disablers

TRACKING DEVICE - The final layer of protections is a tracking device which emits a signal to a police or monitoring station when the vehicle is reported stolen. Tracking devices are very effective in helping law enforcement authorities recover stolen vehicles.

PASSIVE AND ACTIVE ANTITHEFT DEVICES -
Passive and active antitheft devices are the two options available when considering an anti-theft system. Passive devices automatically arm themselves when the vehicle is turned off, the ignition key removed, or a door is shut. No additional action is required. Active devices require some independent physical action before they are set, such as pushing a button, or placing a "lock" over a vehicle component part. This physical action must be repeated every time the anti-theft device is set or it will not function.

THEFTS FROM VEHICLES

Vehicles are being broken into on a daily basis because people are leaving items such as cell phones, wallets, IPOD’s, GPS’s, gym bags, brief cases and even spare change in plain view. Electronic chargers are also dead giveaways that you likely have a GPS or other expensive electronic devices in your vehicle. Remove all items from plain view.

Awareness of your surroundings is important in combating crime. If you do see someone or something suspicious, please call the following numbers:

Dispatch number: 714-573-3225
To report a crime in progress: 9-1-1