People are urged to stay vigilant and report incidents after a series of thefts from vehicles in Whitehaven.
Police are appealing for any CCTV or doorbell footage and information about the incidents over the last 78 hours in the Bransty and Hillcrest areas.
Officers will also be patrolling the area and carrying out enquires In the area to gather information to support their investigations, police said.
A spokesman said: “We are urging members of the public to ensure they lock their vehicles to prevent thieves access to any possessions stored inside cars or vans. Where possible do not leave valuables in your vehicle or visible to opportunist criminals.
Advice from police includes:
- Do not leave your vehicles unlocked
- Never leave any items of value in your vehicle on leaving it unoccupied
- Do not leave items of value in the boot – some parcel shelves may not fit flush or may have dropped off centre after use, the smallest of gaps may provide an opportunity for an offender to see through
- Wherever feasible do not leave any work or business-related equipment in your vehicle, especially when your vehicle is left unoccupied overnight – having such items stolen can have a serious impact on your livelihood
- Remove items of value from the glove box – this includes vehicle registration documentation
- You may know that a bag or a box in your vehicle is empty or contains nothing of value, but an offender won’t do and it may catch their attention
Inspector Richard Smillie, of Copeland Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We are actively looking to identify and arrest individuals targeting vehicles in the Bransty and Hillcrest area following a number of incidents were reported to us.
“We would also like people to check any recording equipment, such as dash cams or doorbell cameras to see if any suspicious activity has been captured. If you do happen to have recordings of such behaviour, please share this with us so we can seek to identify those responsible.
“To assist us in preventing further offences, we are asking the public to take simple steps to protect their vehicles and possessions by ensuring they are locking doors and windows.
Anyone with information about suspicious activity is asked to report this online at www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it or call 101.
