Drivers who leave valuables on display in empty cars have been branded lazy and irresponsible.
Between April and June this year, police figures show 317 vehicles were broken into in the borough and, of these, 267 - or more than 80 per cent - were targeted for property inside the vehicle.
Richmond's borough commander, Detective Chief Superintendent Rick Turner said: “I am getting tired of members of the public, when they have lost a sat-nav, saying ‘well I will get it off insurance.’ “Please be my guest if you want to lose property but don’t blame the police.”
The police and Richmond Council are telling drivers to at the very least lock valuables out of sight or to take them out of the car with them.
In the same three-month period 27 laptops were stolen from car boots.
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