STEP 2: Secure MeasuresProtect your Belongings |
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Don’t leave anything valuable on display. Even an old coat on a seat is a temptation for someone to "smash and grab" - they steal first and think about value later. Take all your valuables with you when you leave the caravan. If you can’t, lock them in a cupboard out of sight, as thieves will look for and take advantage of every opportunity. To be really sure, think about having a specialised caravan safe fitted.
Never leave any of the following on display in your caravan. These are all particularly attractive to thieves. Also, never leave CriS registration documents or purchase receipts in your caravan. They could help a thief to sell it on.
Security marking helps the police to identify and return stolen caravans or their contents to their rightful owners, and can put off thieves. Since 1992 all National Caravan Council (NCC) recognized manufacturers have stamped the 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) onto the vehicle chassis and etched it into the windows. If your vehicle is not marked in this way, have your chassis number etched onto all your windows. Consider marking your chassis number or postcode inside cupboards and in other places inside your caravan with a permanent marker pen and keep a note of these places. It may help to identify your caravan if it is stolen.
Consider marking all your valuables, especially those that you often take in your caravan. Mark items with your postcode or some other unique identifying number linked to a recognized database (which keeps to the Loss Prevention Council (LPC) standards 1224 and 1225), and keep a note of any serial numbers in a safe place. This should help the police to return your belongings to you if they are stolen and recovered. It also helps to convict criminals.
The crime prevention officer at your local police station should be able to provide more information about marking schemes. Keep a note of these identifying numbers and the places where they have been marked in your caravan, along with photographs of your caravan and its interior fittings. This information will help the police identify your caravan if it is stolen.
