SNOOPING AROUND: Herts Police share advice on crime after Apsley incident 

Herts Police have shared their top tips on preventing crime after a man was captured on CCTV trying to get into cars on someone’s driveway. 

The footage shows a man attempting to open car doors on two vehicles outside a resident’s house on Chipperfield Road, Apsley.

The footage was recorded at around 4am on Wednesday, September 11. 

https://youtu.be/8FkmUkapOSI

Below is some crime prevention advice to help you to protect your vehicle and the property within it: 

• It might sound obvious, but make sure you lock the doors and shut the windows and sunroof whenever you leave your vehicle unattended 
• Always take the keys out of the ignition even if you’re just stopping to buy a newspaper, paying for fuel, or popping back into your home to get something
• Be aware of your keys. Don’t leave them lying around, don’t leave them visible on a windowsill in your home or near to the front door, where they could be “hooked” through the letterbox. 
• Never leave any valuables in your vehicle – not even in the glovebox or boot – and keep ALL other possessions out of sight. Even if you know that there is nothing valuable in your coat pocket or bag left on the back seat, a thief may try their luck. 
• Remove your sat nav and its holder and wipe away any suction marks as these could suggest to a potential thief that a sat nav is stored in your vehicle. 
• Use an approved steering lock or gear clamp and remember to set your immobiliser and alarm if you have them. 
• Register your stereo, laptop, sat nav and any other property on the free online property database www.immobilise.com 
• Look out for car parks with a Secured Car Park sign which have recognised levels of security. If you have a garage at home, make sure you use it and lock it properly. 
• If you keep your car on the drive, you could consider having a ‘dusk-till-dawn’ security light fitted at the front of your house – thieves don’t like to be illuminated. 
• Noisy gravel on your drive can help deter a would-be thief, as they don’t want to alert you to their approach. 
• Always make sure your car is locked by trying the door before leaving it. 

Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area at the time, or has any other information, should contact Hertfordshire Constabulary on the non-emergency number 101.