Tips For Preventing Theft Of High-Dollar Tools From Work Vans

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — The holiday season is known as a time of giving and spreading goodwill to all. In Prince William County, however, thieves are not taking the holidays off from spreading anxiety and anger among the public whose property is getting stolen.

The Prince William County Police Department has noticed an increase in reports of expensive tools getting stolen from work vans, usually occurring late at night or in the early morning hours. The thieves are entering the vans by punching the sliding door or rear door lock.

The police department has some tips for residents who have been keeping their high-dollar tools in their vans, including:

• Remove the tools from the van, if possible.
• Give your tools a makeover. Paint them a neon color, stripes, etc. and take a picture of them if needed in the future. Thieves want to have tools they can sell and not be traced because of their unique look.
• Engrave personal information on the tool. It can be your business name, your name, etc. This lowers the tools' resale value and increases the risk of arrest to the thief.
• Remove batteries and chargers from the tools.
• Lock them in a secure cabinet. Thieves have a short time to gather your tools. Make it more difficult for them.
• Lock up items with a security chain. Use hardened steel security chain and padlocks to protect ladders and heavy-duty equipment.
• Add exterior puck locks to your van's doors. They aren't convenient but provide much better security than a factory lock and are a visual deterrent.
• Install an alarm system because you can't watch your van 24/7. There are systems that send alerts to your cell phone when doors are opened, glass breakage, etc.
• Add stickers and warning signs to your van. Let thieves know your tools and vehicle are protected by GPS trackers, alarms, etc. Thieves generally move to a different target if your van appears high-risk.

Residents should report all suspicious activity or van break-ins to the Prince William County Police Department. If you are witnessing a van-breakin, call 911. If you discover your van has been broken into, contact the police department's non-emergency line at 703-792-6500.