Memorial Day Ranks as One of the Top Holidays for Vehicle Theft

WESTWOOD, Mass., May 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

What: Memorial Day ranks as one of the most popular holidays for vehicle theft.  According to the National Crime Information Center's (NCIC) latest data, 2,599 vehicles were stolen on Memorial Day making it the fifth most targeted holiday for vehicle theft.  The AAA forecasts that 32.1 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles away from home this Memorial Day weekend -- providing a wealth of targets for today's sophisticated car thieves.  

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Whether you are traveling far from home or plan to spend Memorial Day in your own backyard, LoJack Corporation (Nasdaq: LOJN), developer of the industry's most effective stolen vehicle recovery system, advises that consumers take precautionary measures to protect their vehicles from today's organized crime rings.  Despite the fact that the overall national vehicle theft rate has declined for six consecutive years, LoJack cautions consumers that the national rate of unrecovered vehicles is at its highest point in more than 20 years. In fact, 43 percent of vehicles stolen in 2008 (latest FBI data) were never recovered, amounting to 411,444 stolen vehicles not returned to their rightful owners.  Today's professional thieves know just how to outsmart many of today's anti-theft devices, which is driving the high rate of stolen vehicles that are never recovered.  

Who: Theft prevention expert D.J. Thompson, Director of Law Enforcement for LoJack and a former officer with the Connecticut State Police, is available for interviews and offers the following theft protection tips:

By combining common sense approaches, theft prevention devices and tracking/recovery systems, consumers can protect their vehicles from theft. 

The first important step: Use Common Sense Measures.  Never leave keys in the car with the engine running.  Don't hide a spare key in the vehicle.  Close all windows and lock all doors when leaving your vehicle.  Park in a well-lit area and, when at home, keep your car in the garage.  Don't leave valuables visible in your car.

The second step: Use Theft Prevention Products.  A thief may be less inclined to steal your car if it has visible and audible warning devices like a wheel lock or alarm system.  Immobilizers—which include smart keys, kill switches and fuel cut-off devices—can offer another means of protection.  While the professionals can often disable these devices, they do offer another means of deterrence.

The third step: Use a Tracking and Recovery System.  Since thieves can typically disarm most theft prevention devices, recovery systems provide the peace of mind that you'll get your car back – often quickly – in the event it is stolen.  The most effective systems are directly integrated into law enforcement, use Radio Frequency technology, which has proven to be optimal for recovering stolen vehicles, and are covert so they cannot be disengaged. 

To arrange an interview with D.J. Thompson, please contact the following:

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.

D.J. Thompson - https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=89412

SOURCE LoJack Corporation