Police “steal” valuables from cars in a lesson for drivers

Police are taking valuables from unlocked cars to teach drivers to be more careful. Motorists have been returning to vehicles to find that handbags, laptops and sat-navs have been replaced with a note telling them they can retrieve their belongings from a police station. The scheme has been introduced in Richmond upon Thames, South-West London, which suffers from a high number of thefts from cars – up 40 per cent in a year.

If they [the police] find valuables on display they will try to find the owner nearby, but if they cannot they will take the goods to Twickenham police station. Drivers who leave their car unlocked but with nothing on display will get a letter telling them to be more careful.

You didn’t really think that the British police would spend their time doing what they are actually paid to do—going after robbers, rapists, and murderers? That’s too dangerous.