I've spent most of the afternoon and evening today reading about the fantastic installations, and the beautiful pictures that many have posted to this forum. As a sworn law enforcement officer in a community 25 miles southwest of Chicago, I have a few things to suggest. Unless your vehicle is parked in your garage at home, and in a well-lit and "human guarded" parking garage at work, and if you never visit a shopping center, then consider an alarm for your car or truck. I know the argument, "Those things go off all the time; Most people ignore them in a parking lot," etc., ad nauseum. This may be the case, but the more noise your alarm produces and the more lights you flash, the better chance that the thief will be scared off if he/she starts tampering with your vehicle. I have taken numerous reports over the past 30+ years for auto burglaries, and rarely are the perps apprehended. When they are, they're usually responsible for many other incidents, not just one. Although ONSTAR is an expensive investment, they have an alarm monitoring system where your car alarm would notify ONSTAR, in turn they will call you on the telephone number of your choice, usually your cell phone. Also consider a rider on your car insurance. Here in Illinois, car insurance covers anything factory installed. Not even your homeowners policy would cover serious vandalism to your car or truck, and not only the loss of equipment, but the damage caused by low-lives ripping your vehicle apart to get a piece of equipment they probably don't have the vaguest idea what to do with, except trade it to a fence for a "fix." Anti-theft stickers also are a good deterrent, along with little dashboard LED's blinking. Chances are more than likely the would-be thief will pass your vehicle by, and work on another. Something else I do is get a large bath towel the same color as the interior of your vehicle. Merely drape it over your radios and electronic devices. The old addage "Out of sight, out of mind," may work in some instances. But in closing, consider getting something that will make a lot of noise if someone breaks forcibly or if you forget to lock the car, also consider a system that will alarm itself once you've exited the vehicle after a certain period of time. Case reports are running rampant in the law enforcement communities for vehicle burglaries. Not just in my agency, but all over the United States. Again, if you can affort ONSTAR, and can opt for the burglary notification package, consider it as an insurance policy. And don't forget to check with your insurance carrier for riders for extra equipment installed after you took possession of your vehicle from the dealer or private party. Members of the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) offer a reasonable policy for ham radio, electronic equipment, antennas, towers, computers, and more.
Soap box mode deactivated. Have a nice day!
Soap box mode deactivated. Have a nice day!