Vehicle crime · 4 min read
Car broken into on the drive?
Here's what helps.
Smashed window, glovebox emptied, gone in a minute. It's one of the most common reports on our crime pages, and one where the right camera makes a real difference to whether anything comes of it.
33 vehicle crimes were reported within a mile of Wolverhampton centre last month. See the full picture →
Right now
- Report it — 101 or online — and get the crime reference for your insurer.
- Don't tidy the car until you've photographed it. Fingerprints on glass are real.
- Export any footage today, before it's overwritten. Check neighbours' doorbells too.
What footage the police can use
A clear face, a distinctive item of clothing, a vehicle they arrived in with a readable plate, and a time. What they can't use: a grey infrared blob at 5m, or 'motion detected' with no snapshot. Export in the recorder's native format with the timestamp on — see what the police need.
Making the next one count
If your camera didn't give you any of that, it's not your fault — most aren't set up for it. A survey looks at where the car sits, where an approach is visible from, and specifies a camera that gets faces at approach and a plate on whatever they came in. Person alerts at night mean you're woken while they're still there.
We audit existing systems — position, night performance, alert rules — and often fix them without replacing them. System takeovers.
Your property decides. Not the logo.
Questions
Good to know.
Will the police investigate a car break-in?
Resources are stretched; clear footage of a face or a plate significantly raises the chance something happens.
Should I leave nothing in the car?
Yes — and make it visibly empty. Thieves look through windows first.
Does a driveway light help?
A camera-triggered white light is better than a constant one: it startles and it means colour footage.