According to the Houston Apartment Association, auto-burglary activity has been steadily rising as we go into the summer for apartment communities. This can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and current unemployment situation. Being a victim of an auto-burglary is not a fun experience, but most people overlook simple preventative measures that could decrease the likelihood of it from happening.
Most auto-burglaries start with unlocked doors.
It may seem like a trivial matter, but we have observed many auto-burglaries where the perpetrators are first looking for unlocked cars. With this video, you can see that no vehicle is left unchecked. It is imperative that you lock your vehicle doors and check to ensure they are locked properly.
Prevent Smash and Grabs
A huge factor for criminals to break-in to your vehicle is if there are any valuables such as electronic devices, backpacks, purses, wallets, and bags that are left in plain sight in the vehicle.
Once a criminal sees an item of potential value in a car, they will look for an opportunity to smash the windows and take it. We cannot stress enough, do not leave anything in the car that may look “possibly” valuable. A bag of trash can look like a bag of cash.
Anti-Theft and Car Alarms
You may not be a fan of car alarms when it goes off, especially late at night when you are sleeping. However, this is an effective deterrent against auto-burglary. Not only will it turn away criminals from targeting your vehicle, it can potentially prevent other vehicles from being victims if the car alarm is set-off. So next time your car alarm go-off, let it sound for 30 seconds or more before locking your car to turn it off.
Auto-burglaries can happen at any time and anywhere. There is no surefire way to prevent auto-burglaries, but you can reduce your risk and loss by taking precautions.
Apartment complexes are prime targets for various criminal activities from trespassing to vehicle break-ins and burglary. Criminal acts result in unhappy tenants and decreased occupancy. SentriForce’s camera surveillance solutions utilize visual deterrents and high definition cameras to deter criminal activity and give your residents peace of mind.
For more information about managed video surveillance for your apartment community, contact SentriForce today.
Combining industry leading technology with our Texas-based and owned monitoring facility to help you and your team reduce loss and mitigate risk.
