Lock your doors
While this piece of advice should be a no-brainer, up to a quarter of vehicle thefts are from unlocked cars, according to some law enforcement agencies. Even if you're running into the store for a Coke, that's too long to leave your vehicle's contents open for the taking. Simply locking the doors will deter those who might just be waiting around for an easy target.
Keep it tidy
Almost any worthless personal item that's visible from the outside -- even an empty shopping bag -- could be seen as a valuable or a carrier of valuables. If you have a wagon or SUV that leaves your cargo area on display, consider getting a cover. Most of these vehicles can be fitted with inexpensive retractable covers to help keep shopping bags or other belongings out of sight.
Conceal all the evidence
Don't leave any bait out for thieves; stow your electronics and accessories well out of sight-or better yet, bring it with you. The evidence alone might be enough to pique the interest of thieves, so hide that too, including power plugs, telltale iPod adapters, or nav-system windshield suction-cup mounts, and even put the cigarette lighter back in place.
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Stash before -- not after -- you park
Get in the habit of putting shopping bags in the trunk right when you return to the vehicle, rather than after you park at the next place. According to
National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) spokesman Frank Scafidi, thieves sometimes linger in busy parking lots looking for valuables being moved out of sight. Don't display to them what you have.
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Completely close windows and sunroofs
No, it's not just because thieves might reach in through the gap and open your locks with a coat hanger. Open windows will disable the pressure sensor in some car alarms, leaving the vehicle more vulnerable to break-in and potentially giving thieves more time before the alarm sounds.
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Get an alarm
If you don't have an alarm system, get one. The noise alone may be enough to scare away an inexperienced thief and prevent the break-in. Factory-option alarm systems are generally best, but a carefully installed, properly calibrated aftermarket system can provide just as much safety. Beware, many less-expensive new cars have remote entry but not a true alarm.
Stick with the original audio system
Thefts of
car audio components are on the decline, but having an aftermarket system still makes a car more attractive to thieves thinking of breaking in. There's no black market to speak of for factory stereos, and they've become much better sounding in recent years.
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Park for visibility
Park in a busy, well-lit area, and avoid concealment from larger vehicles, fences, or foliage. Except for the most brazen thieves, the greater the chances are that someone might see a crime in progress, the lower the chances are that the potential thief will attempt it.
Get physical
A significant portion of vehicles are broken into with the intent of stealing the vehicle itself, so combining several visible simple, inexpensive physical theft deterrents like steering wheel locks (The Club), steering column collars, or brake pedal locks may discourage the would-be thief from breaking in and trying.
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Layer your defenses
That's the strategy recommended by the NICB; layers include warning devices such as alarms, wheel etching, or decals; immobilizers; and even tracking systems (LoJack is one). "None of them are foolproof, but if they're used in tandem they can really keep the chances down," agrees Loretta Worters, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute.
Sources: The National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Insurance Information Institute, Progressive, and AAA.
Supervisor Feiner:
PLEASE SEND OUT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO THE E LIST, SO THAT WE CAN MEET OUR REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE MS4 – PHASE II STORMWATER PROGRAM. THANK YOU.
Program Overview
Small municipal stormwater sewer systems (MS4s) that are located within the boundaries of a Census Bureau defined "urbanized area" are regulated under EPA's Phase II Stormwater Rule. This requires MS4s to develop a stormwater management program that will reduce the amount of pollutants carried by stormwater during storm events to waterbodies to the "maximum extent practicable". The goal of the program is to improve water quality and recreational use of waterways.
MS4 stormwater programs have six elements called minimum control measures (MCM) that when implemented together, are expected to result in a reduction of pollutants discharged into waterbodies.
Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) in Urbanized or Additionally Designated Areas must be authorized in accordance with a permit for stormwater discharges from MS4s.
In accordance with SPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharge from MS4s, GP-0-15-003, below is a link to the Town of Greenburgh’s DRAFT 2015-2016 Annual Report to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Should you have any questions or comments related to this DRAFT Report, or should you wish to request that a meeting be scheduled to ask questions or make comments on this DRAFT Report, please contact Aaron Schmidt, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Community Development and Conservation, at: aschmidt@greenburghny.com
http://www.greenburghny.com/FCpdf/DRAFT%20MS4%20Annual%20Report%202015-2016.pdf
PAUL FEINER
