BEACHGOERS have been advised not to keep valuable belongings in their cars and to exercise caution when choosing where to park this summer.
This comes after a spate of recent thefts from vehicles, including two reported at Lisfannon Beach in less than a week.
A designer handbag and purse were reported stolen from a car parked at the popular beach near Buncrana, with a phone being reported stolen from a parked car at the same location days later.
In another recent incident, a phone was reported stolen from a parked van in Letterkenny.
With temperatures expected to rise above 20C over the coming days, beach carparks are set to be full, however gardaí are warning people not to park in places where there’s no surveillance.
Donegal Divisional Crime Prevention Officer, Sergeant Fergus McGroary told the Donegal News that gardaí have noticed an increase in incidents of thefts from cars compared to this time last year.
“We’re just asking people to be vigilant and think about where you’re parking,” he said.
He advised of the Park Smart Campaign which was shared by An Garda Síochána Donegal on social media recently.
“The big one is making sure A, that your car is locked and B, park it where it’s well-lit, in particular in hours of darkness,” said Sgt McGroary.
“Even at home, store your keys away from windows and letterboxes. Don’t make it easy for people to make you a victim of crime.”
Sgt McGroary stressed the importance of not leaving valuable items in vehicles, in particular cash, jewellery and electronic devices such as phones and laptops.
“We’re aware that workmen with vans would sometimes leave some of their machinery and property in the van at different times,” he added. “Maybe investing in extra security in relation to that like anti-theft locks, tracking devices or monitored alarms on their actual van. Just anything at all to try and make it more awkward for the person [breaking in].
“Putting heavy-duty commercial van slam door locks on or anti-theft protection locks on your van if you have to keep some tools and machinery in it.”
As outdoor events such as local festivals, agricultural shows and graveyard Masses take place throughout the summer, people may be parking their vehicles in places where there is no CCTV.
However, this comes with risk.
“You could be away from your car for four, five, maybe six hours and unfortunately you come back and discover that your car has been broken into,” said Sgt McGroary.
“It spoils the day for you and we’re trying to make sure that everybody keeps their property safe.”
While nothing is 100 per cent crime-proof, Sgt McGroary explained that taking as many precautions as possible can mitigate the risk of becoming a victim of crime.
If a phone is stolen, having a record of the phone’s unique 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number can make a difference.
“The beauty of that is that if you do unfortunately become the victim of a crime, you can contact your network provider and they can block the phone,” said Sgt McGroary. “It makes your phone useless, effectively, to the person who has stolen your phone and you can cancel right away.
“The way you can find that is if you go into your phone and you put in *#06# and dial, the 15 numbers will come up. It’s a useful thing to have and a good one if you’re unfortunate enough that your phone is stolen.”
He also encouraged people to mark their property by taking photos and recording serial numbers.
An Garda Síochána has an app where details of property can be recorded, which is available to download from app stores.
Sgt McGroary confirmed that a man was recently arrested in Letterkenny and charged in relation to three theft incidents.
“We would encourage if anybody sees anything at all suspicious that they would ring the Gardaí and let us know,” said Sgt McGroary.
“There could be other incidents and we just want to make sure that we know all about them. If you see anything at all suspicious, we’d ask you to please contact the Gardaí. And if it’s urgent, you can use the 999 or the 112 service.”