Finnish police are warning motorists to be careful with their tyres, in case of theft.
The advisory comes as motorists make the switch from summer tyres to winter tyres, and crimes of opportunity are more common.
Police say both private drivers and garages should take more care with tyre storage at this time of year.
Vantaa Theft
While garages and tyre shops usually keep their tyre products under lock and key, it’s no guarantee of safety.
In Vantaa recently, dozens of tyres were stolen from a locked container in a car park, with a value of €13,000.
So East Uusimaa police recommend that garages install decent outdoor lighting, or motion-activated bulbs in storage yard areas.
Police say that cameras or other monitoring systems could be a good investment, but they need to be tested regularly.
Crimes of Opportunity
Detective Chief Inspector Toni Sjöblom at Southwest Finland Police says that tyre stealing isn’t so attractive for organised crime gangs, at least, not in his part of the country.
“If you leave the tyres in the yard before putting them to storage, they could be taken” Sjöblom tells News Now Finland.
“Sometimes those tyres are in the car and someone can break the glass and steal them” he adds.
In southwest Finland they only have a few cases per month, but the numbers can rise when tyres are changed at this time of year, and crimes of opportunity take place when people are careless with leaving their tyres laying around before going to storage.
Detective Chief Inspector Sjöblom says that sometimes, stolen tyres can end up online, sold on sites like Tori.
