The Lock It or Lose It campaign is designed to provide the public with easy-to-remember tips that can help prevent nearly all vehicle break-ins.

Locking your car sounds obvious, but more than 80 percent of thefts happen when people leave their cars unlocked. Simply locking your vehicle and removing valuables such as GPS and mobile devices, laptops, shopping bags, money, and credit cards can go a long way in deterring criminal activities.

Each year, during the Lock It or Lose It campaign, officers from the Morrisville Police Department will increase patrols and offer in-person tips to reduce risk to those in shopping centers and residential areas. Officers will also hand out brochures with tips for keeping valuables safe.  Signs are also installed at local shopping centers and neighborhoods to raise awareness.

The Morrisville Police Department offers the following tips to help prevent you from being a victim:

• Park under street lights or in well-lit areas.
• Close all windows on the vehicle. Close the sunroof or convertible top.
• Remove all valuable items, such as sunglasses, electronics, wallets, and shopping bags. Take important identifying documents with you. Identity thieves can use these to secure credit card accounts, lease vehicles, or secure a loan or mortgage against victims’ properties without their knowledge.
• Lock your vehicle before you walk away from it.
• Take all your keys with you. Never leave your keys inside the vehicle, even for a short period of time. Avoid leaving a vehicle running with the keys in the ignition, even if the vehicle is locked. Don't keep a spare key in a spot hidden on your vehicle.

If you must keep valuables in the car, lock these in the trunk prior to arriving at your destination. Criminals are more likely to break into your trunk if they notice you placing valuables within them once you are parked.