Warning to motorists following thefts from vehicles
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We are urging motorists across the county to be vigilant and take precautions following a recent spate of thefts from vehicles.
So far this month there have been 43 reports of thefts or attempted thefts from vehicles across Cambridgeshire, 25 of which have been in Peterborough.
Overnight on Friday (8 July) into Saturday (9 July), six vehicles were targeted in Balsham, South Cambridgeshire.
A breakdown of the offences is below:
- Peterborough – 25
- Fenland – 4
- Huntingdonshire – 0
- East Cambs – 1
- South Cambs – 11
- Cambridge City – 2
These figures do not include reports of catalytic converter thefts, of which there have been 27 since 1 July – two in Fenland, two in Huntingdonshire, 14 in East Cambs, three in South Cambs and six at Trumpington Park and Ride in Cambridge.
Sergeant Sam Tucker, from Peterborough’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Unfortunately we are seeing a mix of offences across the county with some vehicles being left unlocked and offenders chancing their luck, while others are much more brazen and have taken to smashing windows to get what they want from inside.
“A range of items have been stolen from small amounts of loose change, through to more valuable items such as laptops, mobile phones, sat navs, power tools and larger amounts of cash.
“We are working hard to catch anyone responsible for these thefts, however, I would urge members of the public to remove items from within their vehicles where possible, and also double check their vehicle is locked before leaving it.
“We’ve had several reports of attempted thefts or where someone has been caught on video doorbell cameras trying door handles of cars – please continue to report these to us.”
Anyone with information about suspicious activity around vehicles should report online here, where video footage can also be passed on.
If a crime is in action, always call 999.
Advice on how to best protect your vehicle from thieves can be found on the force website here.