The Fountain Valley Police Department continues to see an increase in thefts of GPS devices from vehicles. The high profile positions these devices are placed in serve to ring the dinner bell for thieves.

Please take these suggestions from GPSmagazine.com to heart:

Some tips for avoiding your beloved GPS from being snatched:
• Consider using a friction mount instead of the suction-cup windshield mount most GPS devices ship with. Friction mounts rest on the dashboard instead being attached to the glass, and can be easily hidden under the seat when the car is parked. Plus, there's no revealing ring on the windshield to tip off thieves.
• If you do use a windshield mount, remove it when parking the car and wipe off the suction cup smudge.
• Write down the serial number of your GPS and register it with the manufacturer. Provide this number to police when making a report.
• If your GPS includes a lock/password feature, use it. These simple passwords / PIN combinations are easily cracked within a day or two, but you might as well make things as difficult as possible for the criminals!

There's nothing worse than the violation of a break-in and having your personal property stolen. The best thing you can do is keep all signs that you own a GPS out of sight when parking your car.