Shenandoah Police Department hosting a car theft prevention workshop Nov. 14

The Shenandoah Police Department is hosting a vehicle security workshop at 7 p.m. Tuesday for residents who want to get tips on how to make themselves – and their vehicles – a harder target for thieves.

The workshop is at Shenandoah City Hall. Instructors will teach residents and others various ways to mitigate the risk of getting their car stolen, said Shenandoah Assistant Police Chief Barry Gresham.

“Having a vehicle stolen can create all kinds of problems aside from the obvious transportation issues,” Gresham said. “Insurance rates can go up. People lose items inside the vehicle and it could take a lot of time trying to get another car.”

Gresham said car owners can do simple things to prevent their cars from being stolen. The first is knowing your risk, he said.

The top three cars out of 10 that are stolen in this area are pickup trucks made by Ford, Chevy and Dodge, Gresham added.

Tips, such as ensuring you lock your vehicle, taking your keys and leaving nothing of value inside the car, will be shared at the seminar, Gresham said. Gresham said he has seen surveillance video showing a car stolen in less than a minute. Laptops, electronics and weapons are considered prime targets for thieves, he added.

On Nov. 7, Shenandoah police officials arrested two Houston-area men who police said had burglarized multiple vehicles in the city and allegedly stole property, mostly electronics. Because police were able to catch the men, most of the property from the stolen vehicles was returned to owners, Gresham said. But that doesn’t always happen.

Gresham recommends that everyone with electronics, or other items of value, take note of each item’s serial number and keep it somewhere secure, such as on a cell phone, which is likely to be with a person at all times. That way, if an item is stolen, the serial numbers can be given to law enforcement for easier tracking, he added.

“We’re trying to serve our community the best way that we can,” Gresham said, referring to the upcoming workshop. “When people take our advice in crime prevention, or any other aspect of what we’re trying to teach, it makes our job easier.”

For tips like these and many others, residents are encouraged to attend one of the many workshops the Shenandoah Police Department hosts in the city every other month.