West Vancouver Police are urging residents to protect their property and not be easy targets for thieves.
 

Over the past four days, the West Vancouver Police Department have received three separate reports of Theft from Autos and one report of a Theft of a purse.
 

All of these incidents were preventable crimes or crimes of opportunity.
 

In two of the incidents, purses were stolen out of the vehicles. One of the vehicles was not locked.

The third Theft from Auto included a Global Positioning System being stolen.In a fourth and separate incident, a purse was stolen from a bench in a coffee shop with the owner sitting right beside it.
 

As the holiday season approaches, West Vancouver Police are asking residents to be extra vigilant in protecting their property and themselves from these types of crimes. The following are Crime Prevention Tips:

Protect Your Property

Keep your purse or wallet on your person at all times; do not leave it on a chair, in a shopping cart or in a vehicle.
Do not carry cash, if possible.  Photocopy or record all credit card numbers. Also record serial numbers, makes and models of your personal property.

Prevent Theft from Auto

Make sure your vehicle is locked when you exit the vehicle.
Never leave valuables such as wallets, purses or electrical devices in plain view.
Do not leave spare keys, garage door openers or mail keys in your vehicle.
Valuables in the trunk are at risk. If you are using the trunk, place the valuables in the trunk prior to arriving at your destination.
Watch for suspicious people loitering in the area of parked cars or people watching from parked cars.
Park in a well-lit area if you are planning to return to your vehicle after dark.
Engrave personal property with your driver's licence number.
Use vehicle alarm and anti-theft device to discourage criminals.

West Vancouver Police urge all residents to take steps to avoid becoming victims of preventable crime.
 

If you see someone suspicious in your area, call the West Vancouver Police immediately.