PEOPLE in Limerick are advised to take a number of steps to ensure their personal property is safe following a number of car thefts around the county.
In one case, thieves broke into a house in Adare, stole the keys of two cars and drove them away. While the cars were locked, the victim failed to lock the patio door of their home, allowing thieves easy access.
While in the house, the thieves also stole a handbag, cash, and bank cards.
In a separate case, a woman in Oola reported hearing a noise outside her home.
When her husband looked out the upstairs window, he saw that their car was gone. On going downstairs, he saw that the kitchen drawers were searched and their car keys had been taken.
The couple discovered that while they had hidden the keys out of sight, they didn’t lock the back door, again allowing the thief to walk into their home.
In yet another case, a man in Murroe arrived home at 2am to find that his jeep had been taken.
Similar to the other cases, the man left his keys on a windowsill, and didn’t secure the window, allowing the thief easy access.
Outlining the simple errors in the above cases, Garda Sergeant Ber Leetch, Crime Prevention at Officer Henry Street Garda Station, said that there are a number of layers to crime prevention.
“Lock your car, lock your windows and doors, and keep your car keys out of sight, in a drawer or a press but not on the hall or kitchen table. Gardaí know that criminals look in windows to see if there is anything worth taking and then they try the doors,” she said.
Sgt Leetch also advised the public to be aware of where they put their keys when out in public.
“It is important to protect your car keys when you are out too. A man in his 50s was in a city centre pub last Saturday at lunchtime. He had put his car keys on the table and did not notice when a thief took them and a bag of very expensive photographic equipment,” Sgt Leetch said.
