Thinking Like a Crook Could Protect You and Your Belongings

"What is in my vehicle that a thief would want ?"

Kat Anderson with the South Plains Auto Theft Task Force said it's time to start thinking like a thief to protect your car and your belongings.

"We don't want you to leave anything in your vehicle that didn't come from the factory," said Anderson.

Unfortunately for Valerie Albarado she had to learn that the hard way.

"I just got in my car and everything was everywhere," said Albarado, "All my papers that were in my console and my glove box they were just all over my floor board and my seats."

Albarado said her car was broken into twice within a matter of weeks.

"Someone that I don't know was in my car," she said, "That's what scared me the most."

Albarado said they broke into her car right outside her home.

"We definitely don't live in a bad neighborhood," she said, "It's a nice neighborhood, a bunch of families live around us, so it was really shocking."

Anderson said that's what many people think, but she said they are wrong.

"You think, 'Oh, I live in a safe neighborhood,' most of our vehicles are stolen from residences," said Anderson, "So, anywhere in Lubbock it can happen you can become a victim."

She said it can happen even if you lock your car doors.

"That is their job, to figure out how to get your stuff," said Anderson.

So KLBK wanted to know what exactly these thieves are looking for.

"First things they are going to see is the mail," said Anderson, "Now, that mail is going to have her address."

Leading the crook right to your home.

"See she's got all of her insurance information," said Anderson, "Our identity thieves are everywhere and they are looking for stuff like that, they also have a lot of valuable information they could be at your house by the time you got home."

Insurance cards, bills, mail, Auto Theft Task Force says if you make it available, they'll make it theirs.

"We used to be a small town, we are now a large town and we do have the crime," said Anderson.

Last year in Lubbock County there were more than 00 auto thefts, along with thousands of reported vehicle burglaries.

Anderson said it's their job to stay ahead of the game, and alarm and security system businesses are trying to do just that.

"They actually have things called code grabbers," said Trent Wright.

He explained once a thief has access to that code they can be in your car in seconds taking anything they can get their hands on.

Wright said you can protect yourself from being a victim with anti-code grabbing alarm systems that never send out the same code.

"It makes some people even sleep better just knowing that their car is protected," said Wright.

As for Albarado she said she's learned her lesson.

"I don't leave anything valuable in my car anymore," she said, "It's pretty much the manual and that's it."

"They want convenience," said Anderson, "They want something quick, they want to grab it and go so they don't get caught."

Auto Theft Task Forces said another big mistake people make is leaving their garage door openers in their cars, once a thief gets a hold of that they say you've lost the battle.