AMHERST — Due to a recent string of vehicle break-ins, the Amherst Police Department is reminding residents to lock their vehicles and keep valuable items out of sight.

The police department issued a press release with some simple vehicle safety tips that work equally well in any Western New York Community:

  • Do not leave vehicles unattended with the doors unlocked, even in your garage or driveway.
  • Remove all valuables from the car, such as cell phones, MP3 players, GPS units, computers, purses, and money.  If valuables must remain in the car, they should be secured in the trunk or in a locked glove box.
  • Remember to remove GPS mounting suction cups from your windshield as this alerts criminals to the possibility of a GPS unit inside the vehicle.
  • Remember that if a criminal has access to the inside of your vehicle, he or she will likely have access to your garage door opener.  For this reason, make sure to use a deadbolt on any entry doors to your home that are accessed through your garage, as well as the rest of your home’s entry doors.
  • Turn on your home’s exterior lights or install motion sensors to illuminate vehicles parked in the driveway.
  • If you must park in the street, try to park under a street light.  Well-lit areas deter criminals.



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