Durham police promote ‘Lock It or Lose It’ at the Oshawa Centre

Durham police officers will be at the Oshawa Centre this weekend to promote their Lock It or Lose It program, encourage car-owners to make sure they’re taking precautions to protect their vehicle.

Officers are also attending the Oshawa Costco the next day for their Cram-a-Cruiser charity event to collect unwrapped toys. While there, officers will be promoting Lock It or Lose it as well.

The Lock it or Lose It campaign runs every year around the holiday season. Car break-ins tend to increase as weary shoppers store their gifts in the car between trips. Often the gifts-to-be are left in the car in plain sight making them easy targets.

Durham police have a few tips to avoid being targeted;

• Ensure doors are always locked and the key/fob is in your pocket
• Park in well-lit areas
• Never leave money in plain sight
• Always roll up your car windows
• Put shopping bags and other parcels in the trunk
• Ensure GPS is put in a safe, out-of-sight location
• Keep vehicle registration certificate and proof of insurance on you
• Take electronics, including your cell phone, with you
• Don’t leave your car running unattended
• If parking in the same lot often, park in different spots each day

As a final tip police say not to keep anything with personal information on it, like credit card invoices, in the vehicle. Identity thieves can use these documents to take on the victim’s identity racking up bills in their name.