Cars Being Targetted In Portsmouth

Leave your glove box empty and open to help prevent thieves targeting your vehicle.

That’s the message from police following a spate of crimes in one Portsmouth neighbourhood.

Overnight on Friday, December 3, to Saturday morning, around 20 vehicles had their windows smashed around the following roads near Fratton Road:

-Somers Road North

-Claremont Road

-Nancy Road

-Trafalgar Place

-Selbourne Terrace

The incidents were reported to police on Saturday morning by a member of the public who noticed a number of vehicles in the public car park on Somers Road North had had their windows smashed.

In total, at least three Sat-Navs and a wallet were stolen.

PC Kevin Parker from Portsmouth’s Targeted Patrol team said: “It appears as though the thieves searched the glove compartments looking for valuables.

“Considering the number of vehicles which were targeted, there wasn’t a huge amount taken. Many of the cars were targeted because the offenders thought there may have been something of value inside.

“That’s why we’re saying it’s no longer enough to not leave valuables on display. The best thing to do is empty your car if you’re leaving it and leave the glove box open to demonstrate there’s nothing worth taking.

“We’re following up a number of lines of enquiries to trace the offenders and would like to hear from anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious overnight on Friday. Perhaps you saw the offenders looking through a car or heard the sound of a car window being smashed.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Parker at Southsea police station on 101 or the anonymous Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.