Neighbourhood
Watch

Home
Useful links
Contact
About the panel

Suffolk Police have produced bright green, adhesive stickers - bearing the name Suffolk Constabulary Vehicle Watch.

The discs are designed to be placed in the top centre of the front windscreen and the top offside of the rear window of vehicles which are not normally used at night. Once attached, the discs are difficult to remove.

Police will stop any vehicle displaying these easily-identifiable stickers, which is seen being driven during the hours of darkness - particularly between midnight and 5am, when there is a greater risk of the vehicle having been stolen.

The drivers of vehicles displaying ‘Vehicle Watch’ stickers must recognise that they are liable to be stopped by Police if they use their vehicle at night. As such, they are advised to carry proof of ownership.

You can join Vehicle Watch - FREE - at any Suffolk Police Station or through the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, 61 Thoroughfare, Halesworth, IP19 8AR. Tel. 01986 875108.

Upon submission of an application form, you will be issued with two stickers which will enable you to protect your vehicle by participating in the scheme.

Members of Vehicle Watch are requested to remove the discs if they dispose of their vehicle.

SECURITY ADVICE

When leaving your vehicle unattended always:

1. Remove ignition keys and make sure that your vehicle is locked.
2. Remove personal property, particularly cheque books and credit cards.
3. Put your vehicle in a garage, if there is one available - then lock them both

1. Always remove ignition keys and lock your vehicle, no matter who briefly you intend to leave it.
2. Try to park in places where people are continually passing by - thieves don’t like being seen.
3. Try to avoid leaving it in dark or secluded areas, particularly at night.
4. If you must leave articles in the vehicle, lock them away out of site, avoid leaving cheque books or credit cards in your vehicle.
5. Don’t leave documents such as your licence or registration card in your car. Thieves will use them to trick the police if they are stopped.
6. If possible, turn your wheels towards the kerb. This makes it more difficult for thieves to tow it away.

• 50% of all theft offences involve stealing of or from motor vehicles.
• Older cars are targets for the thief as they are easiest to break into.
• A stolen car is 200 times MORE likely to be involved in an accident than the same car driven by it’s owners.
• Most care thieves are opportunists teenagers.
• Many stolen cars are "written off" in accidents or by deliberate burning.
• Having your car stolen will cause you considerable expense and inconvenience, taking weeks to sort out and probably costing you your No Claims Bonus.
• Most professional car thieves can get into your car quicker than you can!