Officer Curtis Jackson, our P.A.C.E. officer wrote:
We are again trying to reduce the number of larceny from vehicles in your community. We need your help by making sure everyone knows not to leave anything of value in their vehicle. Please help make people aware that if they have a GPS system, DVD player, CD/Radio, cell phones or any other electronic device that can be removed from their vehicle to be sure to write down the serial number(s) down and keep it in a safe place. Please pass this flyer out at your meetings or have them available for your customers.
The flyer reads as follows:
Different types of crime are sometimes unique to certain neighborhoods or businesses or particular parts of a community. However, there is one type of crime which does not seem to be a respecter of geographic or economic boundaries. This crime is stealing from vehicles.
Theft from vehicles can occur anywhere there are vehicles present. This includes places where there are a large concentration of vehicles like shopping facilities, churches, sporting and recreation events, and restaurants down to a single vehicle parked on a residential street.
Here are some tips which will hopefully keep you from being a victim of theft of your personal belongings from your vehicle.
* The best advice that can be given is to simply not leave anything in your vehicle in plain sight which you would not want taken.
* Always lock your doors even if you plan to be away from your vehicle for only a minute such as running in to pay for gas.
* Park in well lighted areas.
* When shopping, always make sure to place purchases in the trunk and out of sight before going to the next shopping area to park.
* Try to maintain a “clutter free” vehicle.
* If you don’t have the luxury of parking your vehicle in the garage at night and have to leave it parked in the driveway or on the street in front of the house, make sure to remove the garage door opener. This is a key to your home !!
* Consider replacing standard license plate screws with theft deterrent screws available at auto parts stores.Again, the best advice is to not leave anything in your vehicle, or at least in plain sight, that you would not want taken. Even the smallest most insignificant items left in plain view could result in a window being smashed which causes a great deal of expense and mess. If you will eliminate the opportunity, you will more than likely eliminate the crime.
The flyer can be downloaded in PDF format: Crime Prevention Tips to Prevent Theft from Autos
Wards Corner Now - Wards Corner, Norfolk, Virginia 
On the night of 26 November 2007 my vehicle was broken into. Not only did they take small change and the radio, they also took the instrument panel cover with installed components and papers left in the glove compartment.I think the break-in of vehicles in our area is the result of organized gangs. When I asked several neighbors if they had seen any suspicious activity the night of my vehicle break-in, I was shocked to hear that a neighbor who moved in no more than six months ago had her vehicle broken into twice. At one time, neighborhood crime was published in the newspaper. Why has this stopped? Is there a website that lists this information? What about cameras located in stategic locations? What is the status of our neighborhood watch program? Can volunteers be trained to assist our police in taking fingerprints, documenting dates and time of larcenies, and encouraging neighbors to report crime and suspicious activity? This has to stop.