Within in the last couple of months, there were two car thefts in my subdivision.  After doing some investigating, I have come to find that it is not that uncommon for a car to be Stolen in our great city of Sandy Springs.  In fact, according to the Sandy Springs Police, there were 293 cars stolen in the city last year (2007).  So, almost everyday except on Sundays a car is stolen.  In 2006, 373 cars we stolen.   On the positive side, we have seen a decrease in thefts by 21%.  This can be attributed to the hard work of our fledgling police department.Below I have included a list of things from State Farm Insurance of some things you can do to reduce the risk of your wheels being stolen.Secure your vehicle:

• Lock your garage at home.
• Park in well-lit areas.
• Roll your windows up completely and when parked.
• Always lock your vehicle.
• Consider installing a vehicle alarm or other theft protection device.
• Never leave your vehicle unattended while the engine is running.

Secure your property:

• Always hide valuables
• Never hide a second key in or on your car

Park securely

When Parking on a street, turn your wheels toward the curb and set the Emergency Brake.
 

When parking in a driveway or parking lot follow these rules:

• If front-wheel drive, pull in forward and set your emergency brake.
• If rear-wheel drive, back into the space and set the emergency brake.

When buying a new vehicle consider looking for:

• A factory immobilizer (computer chip in the key)
• A locking steering wheel
• Other anti-theft devices such as an alarm

Always report any suspected theft activity.

Share with us any other things we can do to protect our automobiles.