28/11/20 - Cyprus Police
Incidents of car theft have occurred in recent times in all provinces. In order to prevent such incidents of theft and in addition to the efforts made by the Police to prevent them, it is recommended that the public be particularly careful and take further measures to protect their property more effectively.
In particular, responsible vehicle drivers should take it seriously that thieves are lurking and should therefore, even in the event of their removal from their vehicle for a few minutes, take all those measures that would prevent their theft.
For example, the following is a series of preventive measures that citizens are encouraged to take:
1. We do not leave our car running and never leave the keys in the engine 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 our house or somewhere else we consider safe.
3. We do not leave our car keys exposed to prominent places or places that any third party can access, to our home, to our workplace or to any other place we visit.
4. Especially when we are in crowded places such as shops, restaurants, etc., we ensure the safe storage of our car keys, since in such places there is an increased likelihood that they will become the subject of theft.
5. We always park our car in places where there is enough road lighting and preferably in supervised car parks. Dark or outlying spots make the work of thieves easier.
6. We remember to set up our car's anti-theft alarm system when we park, if the car has such a safety system. The installation of an anti-theft alarm system in cars is recommended, since it acts as a deterrent against their theft.
More generally, the public is encouraged to be vigilant and to cooperate closely with the Police and in case they identify anything suspicious, such as persons or vehicles that are moving suspiciously, to immediately inform the local Police Station or to contact the Citizen's Line on the telephone number 1460, since this can help identify suspected persons, solve incidents of theft and prevent such incidents in the future.
