Advice from Cyprus Police regarding preventing theft of vehicles or their contents. Even if you park close to a quiet beach, you should still follow the recommendations:
Incidents of car theft occur at regular intervals, often due to unsafe storage of the vehicle or its keys.
For the purpose of preventing such incidents of theft and in addition to the efforts made by the Police to prevent them, the public is encouraged to be particularly careful and to take further measures to protect their property more effectively.
Responsible vehicle drivers should take it seriously that thieves lurk and therefore, even in the event of a short absence from our vehicle, we must take all those measures that would prevent it from being stolen.
For example, a number of preventive measures are given below which citizens are encouraged to take.
1. We do not leave our car running and never leave the keys in the ignition or in the car. Even if we are going to be away even for a very short time for a visit to a shop, office or other place, we lock our car and have the keys in our possession.
2. We always lock the doors and fully raise the windows, even if our car is parked in front of your house or somewhere we consider safe.
3. We do not leave our car keys exposed to prominent places or places that any third party can access in our home, workplace or anyone else we visit.
4. We ensure the safe storage of the keys of our car, especially when we are in crowded places such as shops, restaurants, etc., where there is an increased possibility that they will become the subject of theft.
5. Always park our car in places where there is enough road lighting and preferably in attended car parks. Dark or secluded spots make it easier for thieves to work.
6. Finally, it is recommended to install an anti-theft alarm system in our car.
More generally, the public is encouraged to be vigilant and to cooperate closely with the Police and in case they identify anything suspected, such as persons or vehicles travelling suspiciously, or knows anything about such incidents of theft, immediately inform the local Police Station or contact the Citizen's Contact Line on the telephone number 1460, since this can help identify the suspects, to solve theft incidents and prevent such incidents in the future.
Further, items should not be left loose in the car. Always secure items in the boot of the vehicle, or in the glove compartment.
