The Garden City Police Department reports that there has been an increase in the amount of thefts from parked unoccupied vehicles in the Garden City area as well as Nassau County. These thefts have occurred in residential areas as well as in public and private parking fields. In many of these thefts, popular electronic items such as IPODs, cell phones, computers and GPS Devices are taken. In some cases though, the thief is just looking for loose change. Garden City Police Commissioner Cipullo would like to offer some tips to vehicle owners that may prove beneficial in protecting their valuables from being stolen:

-Keep the vehicle locked, secure and alarm set if so equipped. Thieves just go around checking vehicles to see if they are locked. When they find an unlocked vehicle, they will enter it to see if there is something to steal. This is the preferable way of most thieves because they don't have to break into a vehicle which lowers their probability of being detected.

-Keep valuables out of sight. Thieves are like shoppers. They look into vehicle after vehicle until they see something they like.

-Safeguarding your electronic items from public view does not necessarily mean that the thief will not suspect that you may have an electronic item in your vehicle. Thieves look into parked vehicles to see if there is a window or other interior bracket designed to hold an electronic device. Recent police investigations reveal that many GPS units were stolen from vehicles because the thief observed suction cup marks on the interior of the vehicle's windshield.

-Keep loose change out of sight. Thieves are just looking for a quick way to get money. Leaving loose change, wallets or handbags in your vehicle easily entice a thief to enter your vehicle.

-At night, park your vehicle in well lit areas. In addition, driveway lights are useful in deterring residential vehicle theft.

Commissioner Cipullo adds "In most cases, thefts from vehicles are predominantly crimes of opportunity. If you take precautions to reduce that opportunity, you will most likely reduce the probability of a theft from your vehicle."