Cork car owners are being warned about being ‘easy targets’ for robbers after more reports of vehicles being targeted by gangs of thieves in the county.
Garda Frances Murphy of Bandon Garda Station is urging motorists to stay on high alert for crooks prowling public car parks or housing estates for unsecured valuables this New Year.
This alert comes after a number of vehicles were targeted by thieves in the West Cork area yesterday. Two of these cars were unlocked, and crooks made away a ‘substantial sum of cash’ from one of the vehicles.
Garda Murphy confirmed: “It’s something that we keep going back to but unfortunately, only yesterday, two incidents reported to us again in relation to theft from cars.
“Now in these cases both cars were left unlocked. In one of the cars there was quite a substantial amount of cash taken. So again, don’t be leaving valuables visible in your car. If you are going somewhere and you have a laptop or a handbag put it into the boot before you leave for your journey, and don’t be seen to be doing it parked up in a car park or in a walking area.
“Don’t leave any valuables in your car is really what we put it down to, and always lock your vehicles. Unfortunately in this case the vehicles were left unlocked again, making it easy access for the culprits,” she told Patricia Messinger on C103’s Cork Today Show.
Garda Murphy also issued another warning about certain groups – which have been plaguing a number of Cork towns – that prowl estates at night checking for any unlocked vehicles. Last year, suburbs like Carrigaline, Douglas and Ballincollig were among the worst impacted – but the issue has also stretched far outside the city into East and West Cork.
She added: “These are very quick crimes to carry out. If they go into an estate they could have 50 to 100 cars and still go through them all in a matter of minutes. The morale of the story is really just lock your cars and take the keys out of them obviously.”
This alert comes as Gardaí also urge motorists to not leave their cars ‘warming up’ outside their homes this winter after opportunistic thieves who’ve made away with unattended vehicles.
One person who shared their story said that at 5.30am, they had left their car running outside their house on an estate in Glanmire, when they went back inside for a few minutes. They were even keeping an eye on their motor via their doorbell camera, but that didn’t stop thieves from swooping in.
While the latest cold snap may be over and done with, it’s good advice to keep in mind for other chilly days to come this winter.