Auto Break-in Prevention Tips

Published on November 25, 2025

Vehicle break-ins are on the rise in many communities, especially during the holiday season, and the Albany Police Department would like to share the following information and tips. Below you’ll find both prevention guidance and steps to take if your vehicle is targeted, helping minimize the impact of a break-in.

• Do not leave valuable items visible in your vehicle. Place them into a closed compartment or your trunk. Do this prior to parking at your destination so that no one can see where you are hiding your valuables in the car.
• For items you can't afford to lose, do not leave them unattended in a vehicle, even if you know you will be away from your vehicle for only a few minutes.
• Close all windows and lock all doors before leaving your vehicle.
• When parking, choose a spot that is highly visible to passing pedestrians and motorists.
• If parking at night, choose a well-lit spot.
• Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, find another place to park.
• If you are parking your vehicle for several days check on it periodically.
• Keep the interior of your vehicle as free as you can of bags, boxes, backpacks, etc. Remember, that even a gym bag you know only has clothing inside may be targeted by a thief hoping it contains something more valuable.
• Do not leave garage door openers in parked vehicles.
• Avoid keeping change visible in your car. Break-ins have occurred for the loose change and small bills left out in the open.
• Make a copy of your registration and insurance and keep them in your wallet or purse. Then remove all forms of identification from your vehicle.  Anyone with permission to drive your vehicle should also have a copy of the registration and insurance with them to provide to the police if necessary.
• Report suspicious activity to the police department. Things to be aware of may include: a vehicle slowly driving around parked cars, a person or people looking into car windows with more than a passing interest, people pulling on car door handles, or the sounds of breaking glass. Any of these could be signs someone is looking to burglarize a vehicle.

To file a police report, contact our Dispatch Center at 1 (510) 525-7300. Please don’t hesitate to call 911 to report a crime in progress.

The Albany Police Department would like to remind Albany residents that information about crime and other police activity can be found on the Albany Crime Graphics portal at albany.crimegraphics.com. For questions, comments, or assistance with this site, please email albanypolice@albanyca.org.