Las Cruces police remind drivers who warm up their vehicles to refrain from leaving them unattended, as they can be stolen within seconds.
With cooler morning temperatures approaching, many drivers start their vehicles and leave them running for extended periods of time to defrost windows or simply to warm the cabin.
Most modern vehicle engines require only a few seconds to "warm-up" prior to driving. Most people who warm their vehicles for extended periods of time do so simply for personal comfort – to defrost the windshield or warm the cabin – and not for the good of the vehicle.
Many automobile owners also carry keys to their home, business, or other vehicles on the same keychain, meaning stolen keys could give a thief access to other properties. Some people also leave the garage door remote openers in their vehicle. If a garage door remote opener is stolen, that could give the perpetrator easy access to the garage and residence.
Tips:
- Refrain from leaving vehicles running and unattended.
- Manually scrape ice or frost from windows instead of relying on cabin heat which takes substantially longer to do so.
- Do not leave children or pets in a vehicle.
- Do not leave a vehicle running, unattended, and children inside it.
- Do not leave the garage door remote openers in open view inside vehicles.
- Remove or conceal personal property such as purses, bags, and electronics.
- Close and lock windows and doors when leaving vehicles unattended.
- Immediately report suspicious persons or activity in your neighborhood.
