A NUMBER of car thefts and attempted vehicle thefts have been reported in Letterkenny recently.
A car was stolen from a house at An Gharran, Long Lane between 10.30pm on Tuesday, August 4 and 8pm on Wednesday, August 5.
The car in question was a silver Honda Jazz with a partial registration of ’03 D 54’. The stolen car was then located abandoned on Saturday, August 8 at 10am in the area of Glenard Park, Letterkenny.
A number of windows had been smashed and damage was caused to the ignition.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have observed any suspicious activity in the area of An Gharran between August 4 and 5 to get in touch with gardaí in Letterkenny on 074-9167100.
A Garda spokesperson added: “If anybody witnessed the vehicle being abandoned in the area of Glenard Park over the course of those dates, August 4-8, we ask them to contact us also.
“Any relevant information should be passed on to Letterkenny Gardaí or via the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.”
Separately, attempted car thefts were reported to have occurred in other areas of Letterkenny.
The owner of a silver Toyota Vitz that was parked at St Conal’s Hospital returned to discover that the cowling had been ripped open and damage had been caused to the ignition barrel.
This incident occurred on Wednesday, August 5 between 8.45am and 5pm. Gardaí are appealing to anybody who may have observed any suspicious activity in that area that day to get in touch.
In another incident, a silver Toyota Vitz that was parked at Pearse Road had damage caused to the ignition and the driver’s side window was also smashed. The attempted theft occurred on Friday, August 7 between midnight and 1am.
Again, gardaí are appealing to anybody who may have observed any type of suspicious activity in that area on that date to get in touch, either in Letterkenny on 074-9167100 or via the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
On August 7, a car owner left the keys in their car momentarily while it was left unattended and it was subsequently stolen and then crashed.
On the same day in another area of Letterkenny town, a car was stolen and then located a short distance away. Damage had been caused to the driver’s door and the ignition barrel was missing.
These matters are currently under investigation and gardaí have issued crime prevention advice to car owners in light of these incidents.
A Garda spokesperson said: “Many second-hand car imports do not have a fully fitted car alarm system or are without a fitted immobiliser. This makes them extra vulnerable to hot-wiring.
“Car buyers and owners can take actions to decrease the risk of the theft of their vehicle. Cars imported from international markets are not automatically manufactured with the same security features as cars manufactured for the European market.
“We urge buyers and owners of vehicles to confirm the security features of import vehicles, especially to check if there is an in-built immobiliser and to consider additional security options.
“Buyers should check the security features of their vehicles and make decisions relating to augmenting security. For cars without an immobiliser, an additional steering wheel lock or chain should be considered.
“General vehicle security advice is: never leave your key in the car or ignition even for a short period; lock doors and fully close windows; fit an alarm; retrofit an immobiliser or use a physical lock; install a tracker; use physical security features such as a steering wheel lock and catalytic converter lock; and park where there is CCTV when possible and in lit up areas.
“Always report any suspicious activity you observe around parked cars to gardaí immediately.”