Keeping Your Car Safe, Courtesy of the 72nd Precinct

A handful of in Windsor Terrace last week left many car and motorcycle owners scratching their heads at how to keep their vehicles intact.

Community Affairs Officer for the 72nd Precinct Dean Hanan has a few suggestions.

If you're worried about your wheels—as in, the tires and rims—it's best to invest in keeping them safe, Hanan said. Wheel locks will act as a deterrent, but with the right tools and enough motivation, anything can be jimmied off. If you really want to keep your fancy rims, you may have to drop some cash.

"Spending $100 that alerts you that your car alarm is going off? Worth it," Hanan said. "Spending the $500 to install an alarm with engine cutoff in a vehicle? Worth it."

Of course, there are plenty of smaller—and cheaper—methods of deterring criminals from zeroing in on your car.

Your best bet is to keep your car from standing out—don't just remove valuables from the inside, Hanan said. Remove everything, including items that imply other, more expensive items, like GPS holders or iPhone chargers. While these things don't have much inherent value, such accouterments suggest to thieves that in all likelihood, the goods are simply tucked out of sight. 

Hanan also recommends that drivers avoid excessive ornamentation on both the outside and inside of your car. Criminals, like many lower life forms, are attracted to shiny objects, so even the graduation tassle hanging in your rearview mirror is probably best left in the house. 

If possible, keep your car or motorcycle illuminated at night with lights, preferably the motion-activated kind that will flicker on when they detect movement near your vehicle.

If you've got a motorcycle, there is no such thing as too many u-locks. Locking them only takes a minute or two, and come relatively cheap: A sturdy one will set you back between $30 and $60. The hassle of removing all of them is typically not worth it.

And finally, remember where you live.

"Understand that you're not living in New Hampshire. You can't leave your doors unlocked," Hanan said. "This is New York City."