“Put them away.” That is the short version of the advice from Prince George’s County Police Officer First Class Chaudlier Shepherd, who told WTOP that holiday shoppers hand thieves an opportunity every time a bag sits visible on a back seat. His message is plain: if nothing can be seen, most thieves keep walking.
The parking lot is where many holiday hauls are most exposed, in the stretch between the store door and the trunk. Based on guidance from police departments and news reports, ten things stand out as items that should never be left in sight in a parked car, from wrapped gifts to garage door openers.
Why Holiday Parking Lots Attract Thieves
According to WTOP’s report on Shepherd’s advice, thieves look for easy opportunities, and visible purchases make a car a target for people walking through lots. He recommends parking in well-lit areas, stashing purchases in the trunk, and using a cargo cover or a blanket in an SUV. Shoppers can also bring along a friend or family member, and a dashcam adds some peace of mind.
A few other posts on the site cover similar ground, including the earlier list of things never to leave in a parked car. Holiday travelers sorting out luggage for the season might also like the luggage sets for holiday trips roundup.
Items 1 to 3: What Shows Through the Glass
1. Shopping bags in plain view. The Louisville Metro Police Department notes that a locked door and a glass window will not keep a criminal away from valuables left visible, and that taking valuables inside or locking them in the trunk is the better step. Bags from a department store are a signal that something worth taking is inside.
2. Laptops and tablets. The Delaware State Police list electronics among the items that should never be left in a vehicle. Delaware troopers go further and warn against leaving anything that merely looks valuable, such as a laptop case with no laptop. Louisville police add that chargers and mounts are tell-tale signs, since a visible cable suggests that a device might be tucked out of view.
3. Wrapped gifts. Gifts are the heart of holiday shopping and the heart of the problem. According to FOX 7 Austin’s summary of Austin police advice, anything that appears to have value should be hidden or removed from the vehicle, and shoppers who know a big purchase is coming should make it their last stop so it does not sit in the car while other errands are run. A pile of presents on the seat is the textbook case. The site’s guide to holiday packages left on the porch covers the other place presents tend to sit unattended. Shoppers who also travel for the holidays may like the list of carry-on suitcases worth packing this Thanksgiving.
Items 4 and 5: Wallets, Purses and Loose Change
4. Purses and wallets. Shepherd says criminals use methods ranging from pickpocketing to strong-arm robbery, where people will “just snatch things and run.” A purse on the passenger seat is within easy reach of anyone who breaks a window, and Delaware State Police list purses, wallets and credit cards among items to take along. The site’s roundup of things never to do when living alone includes similar cautions, and hosts getting the house ready for guests may like the Shark versus Bissell vacuum comparison for pet hair.
5. Loose change and cash. Louisville police say that leaving any amount of money in a vehicle removes one step for a thief, who then does not have to sell stolen goods. Delaware State Police likewise list money and loose change. A cup of coins in a cup holder is a small prize, but small prizes are often enough to prompt a break-in. Cold-weather car trouble is its own category, as the post on what never to do if a car gets stranded in a winter storm explains, and holiday crowds are as much a tradition as any of the odd American traditions that confuse the rest of the world.
Items 6 and 7: Garage Door Openers and Firearms
6. Garage door openers. This one is about the house as much as the car. According to FOX 5 DC, D.C. police reported that burglars entered unlocked vehicles in one neighborhood and used the garage opener to get into homes. Police reminded residents to remove the opener from a car parked outside the garage and to lock the doors.
7. Firearms. Lt. Mike Elkins of the Draper Police Department told KSL that locked cars and car alarms do not deter thieves who want what is inside. His department had responded to just over 100 guns stolen from cars since 2021, and he urged owners to take them out and lock them up, since a stolen firearm poses a much bigger threat to others.
Items 8 to 10: Medications, Paperwork and Spare Keys
8. Medications. Prescription bottles are easy to overlook in a bag or console, but they are small, portable and private, so they do not belong in an unattended car. The practical rule is the same as for everything else here: carry them inside instead of leaving them visible.
9. The vehicle title and a Social Security card. Delaware State Police say the glove box should hold only the registration and insurance cards, and that the title belongs in a safe place at home. The department lists Social Security cards, checkbooks and paperwork with printed personal information among items to keep out of the car.
10. Spare keys and key fobs. The same Delaware guidance says not to keep a spare vehicle key hidden in the same vehicle, and not to leave house keys or other keys inside. A hidden key is only hidden from people who do not know where to look.
Taken together, the ten items share a single theme: nothing valuable should be in sight, and nothing that opens a door should be left behind. Delaware troopers also recommend clearing the car of clutter and personal items, since a messy interior can suggest other property of value is inside. Most of the advice amounts to the same habit, which is to hide, lock and carry.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Myke2020 – Public domain/Wikimedia Commons
