Los Banos police giving away wheel locks to prevent vehicle theft

Curbing vehicle thefts is becoming more of a priority for the Los Banos Police Department.

On Thursday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., the police department is giving out a limited number of free steering wheel locks to people whose vehicles are registered to addresses in Los Banos, police said Wednesday.

Half of the devices will be allocated to Honda Accords and Civics, which local statistics show constitute the highest rate of theft. The remaining devices will be given away to owners of any vehicle make and model.

There is a maximum of two devices per household. Residents are encouraged to pick up the device at the police department, 945 Fifth St. Staff will be available to teach residents how to use the device.

The devices were purchased locally using a U.S. Department of Justice grant.

Acting Police Chief Ray Reyna said Thursday there has been a total of 82 vehicle thefts in Los Banos from January through May. That number is down about 6 percent from the 87 incidents reported last year during the same time period.

However, Reyna said some communities in the Central Valley near Los Banos have high rates of vehicle theft, so police are ramping up prevention efforts.

According to a 2015 report released June 6 by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, four of the top 10 highest rates of vehicle theft in the nation are in the Central Valley.

Modesto ranked first in the nation. Bakersfield ranked third, Stockton-Lodi ranked sixth and Merced ranked eighth.

“We are also planning some enforcement type of activities to target auto thefts,” Reyna said, declining to go into detail to avoid tipping off potential thieves.

In addition to the increased activity, Reyna said motorists should take their own precautions to prevent vehicle thefts and burglaries.

People should always lock their vehicles and remove valuable property and firearms from their vehicles. Other proactive measures like installing a steering wheel lock device are also recommended.

Reyna also urged residents to check out strange noises and situations outside their homes, and report suspicious activity without confronting the suspicious person.

“The whole idea is to make the vehicle less attractive to steal and to seem difficult to steal,” Reyna said.

This story was originally published June 15, 2016 at 6:48 PM with the headline "Los Banos police giving away wheel locks to prevent vehicle theft."