Keep Sat Navs safe, cops urge drivers

Apr 23 2009 by Bryan Brough, Paisley Daily Express

A NEW wave of thefts of satellite navigation systems have hit drivers in and around Paisley.

Thieves have been targeting vehicles parked in the town centre – some at the road side and others in car parks.

Stolen too from cars have been a number of mobile phones. The cost of replacing the possessions runs into thousands of pounds.

Yesterday police feared the worrying problem will get worse and urged motorists to be more security conscious in a bid to stop thieves homing in on vehicles.

Cops revealed that certain cars, many of them 4x4s, are targeted because tell-tale signs, such as sucker marks of sat nav holders, were left on the windscreen or dashboard.

Seeing that tips off thieves, many of them opportunists, that the expensive devices could be hidden under a seat or in the glove compartment.

A police spokesman urged motorists to take extra care, adding: “Please take your sat nav with you every time you leave your vehicle.

“And remember to remove the sucker holder and rub off any marks left on your windscreen.

“The damage to your car is done in a few seconds. Your window is smashed or a door prised open and the hidden sat nav is gone.

“The repair bill and the replacement costs run into many hundreds of pounds, in some cases even as much as £1,000.”

News of the rising number of sat nav thefts comes from insurance companies and the police.

The gadgets have been nicked over last year and thousands of them have been taken from vehicles in Paisley, Renfrew, Johnstone, Linwood, Erskine and Barrhead areas.

Car parks are the main targets for thieves and among the latest victims were drivers who left their vehicles near the Xscape Leisure Centre in the outskirts of Renfrew.

A police spokesman told On The Beat: “Sometimes thieves smash a window just to have a look in the glove box or under the seats in the hope there is sat nav gear hidden there.”

The police spokesman offered additional advice to drivers and advised:

l Don’t leave sat nav gear in your unattended car at any time.

l Mark your sat nav with your postcode, house number or your vehicle registration number using a special security marker pen.

l Don’t leave anything of value in your car.