If asked who can make a difference in lowering car crime statistics, most people would point a finger at the police.

And they would be right. Regular neighbourhood policing, plus special operations have, over recent years, cut car crime in the Bradford district dramatically.

Since 2006, theft of vehicles has fallen by almost half, at 48 per cent, and theft from vehicles has also seen a good reduction, at 38 per cent.

But the police are not the only people who can help in this fight. We can too. We, the public, can do our bit to combat theft from cars by simply remembering not to leave goods on view in a parked vehicle.

“A great number of thefts from cars can be prevented by car owners taking basic precautions,” says Detective Chief Inspector Mark McManus, of Bradford South Police.

“Theft from cars is an opportunist crime – criminals wander around looking into cars, and if they see items left on view and the opportunity arises, they will break in to get them. We urge people to take easy security measures such as locking their vehicle and setting alarms, and not leaving things on show.”

Satellite navigation systems and mobile phones are the most common items attracting car thieves, and could account for a recent anomaly in the plummeting car crime statistics.

“We take car crime very seriously, and over the past few years theft from motor vehicles has reduced significantly,” says Mr McManus. “But since Christmas we have seen a marked increase in theft from vehicles in the city centre, Girlington and Manningham areas.”

He adds: “It may be a seasonal upsurge linked to people receiving satellite navigation systems as gifts, fitting them in the car, then leaving them on view.”

With mobile phones, people often take them out of their bag or pocket to use them, put them on the shelf while they are driving, then forget to take them with them.

Goods stolen from vehicles are rarely recovered, but, there too, the public can help. “Criminals would not break into cars if they didn’t have an outlet for the stolen property,” explains Mr McManus.

“If anyone knows of anyone who is buying stolen goods, or has any suspicions, I would urge them to contact the police and report it. The best way is through Crimestoppers – we act on information given to them.”

He adds: “As well as car criminals, I am determined to target the receivers and handlers of stolen goods. If there is no outlet for stolen goods, they will not be driven to steal.”

The drop in the number of thefts from cars has also been attributed to initiatives such as capture cars – specially-designed vehicles fitted with equipment which can photograph a subject, as well as spray them with an invisible liquid that shows up in certain light conditions. Once the car is broken into, it triggers an alarm system linked to police control.

“We have invested heavily in capture cars,” says Mr McManus, “They are parked in vehicle theft hot spots, with property left on view.”

Introduced two years ago, capture cars have a 96 per cent success rate. “We have caught six people in the past eight weeks,” adds Mr McManus.

The cars complement regular patrols by police officers, with an increased presence in key areas.

The fall in the numbers of stolen vehicles can, in part, be attributed to the vehicles themselves. “The assistance of manufacturers has helped greatly,” says Mr McManus. “More modern cars cannot be driven without the keys. In the past, criminals would hot wire a vehicle – that cannot be done with modern vehicles.”

This has led to a rise in the number of incidents in which thieves break into homes to steal sets of car keys. “Most of these occur at night and usually in homes where the keys have been left on view, such as on a kitchen worktop,” says Mr McManus.

Recovery rates for stolen vehicles are around 50 per cent, helped by automatic number plate recognition systems fitted to static cameras and police vehicles, as well as special crackdowns such as Operation Larkwood, in which 40 stolen vehicles or parts of vehicles were recovered.

Mr McManus again stresses the part the public can play in helping to solve such crimes and bring criminals to justice.

“It is about raising awareness. In theft from vehicles we have had a increase in certain areas and we are determined to get on top of it, but we need the help of the public.”

* Information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.