Can a Car Dashcam Be Stolen?

Dash cam devices can cost you a fair amount of money, with models ranging all the way up to £400, and when you enjoy the benefits of parking mode, you might be wondering if having your dashboard camera on display could attract opportunistic crime. 

Even though it is rare these devices are a target for thieves, this doesn't mean that theft doesn't happen with dash cameras, and due to their obvious location they might encourage entry car theft, this all depends on the model you have too, as cheap dash cams tend to be more obvious, while expensive ones are made to be more discreet. 

So as you can understand more about if dash cam theft is a thing and how to prevent it, we have put a short guide down below, that will give you all the info about these dash cam stealing criminals and how to improve the security of your car.

Will My Dashcam Be Stolen If I Leave It In My Car?

When parking your car and leaving your dashcam, it can attract thieves passing by, especially if you have a large model with a highly lit LCD or flashing light. 

Whether or not your dash cameras get stolen mainly comes down to the type of area you have parked your car in too and whether or not your car has some kind of security that will act as a deterrent for thieves such as a car alarm.

Many people don't bother to steal dashcams too unless they are skilled thieves in entry car theft and would know how to remove the hardwiring from a car, but with the huge increase in sales for dashcams this theft is getting more popular.  

How Can I Prevent My Dashcam From Being Stolen?

Although you can never entirely prevent your vehicle from theft or potential vandalism, you can try and implement some security measures and security systems so as you can reduce the likelihood of your dashcam being stolen. 

We have listed a few ways below to protect your dashcam and stop vehicle-related theft from happening to you after parking. 

Conceal With The Mounting Position 

One of the first ways you can prevent this type of crime is by keeping it out of sight for criminals. You, unfortunately, can't change where a front dash cam is, as it will always be located by law near your rear-view mirror on the window, which is an obvious weakness for theft.

However, a rear dash cam is much smaller, and you can install these higher up in your car which makes them less visible, the same goes for wedge-shaped types of cameras which are easier to install high.

Tinted windows can also help with privacy for your car and will act as a visual deterrent for your vehicle as thieves would have to come close to look inside.

Buy a More Simple Device 

There are two ways you can go around choosing the design of your dashcam. For example, if you buy a cheap dashcam without any fancy features, this might make it less of a target for a thief if they are familiar with the value of certain dashcams, also, if yours does get stolen, it won't hurt your wallet as much. 

However, many criminals who commit this type of theft car crime are opportunistic, meaning they unlikely to know the different worths of dashcams.

Cheaper dashcams are designed to be more obvious than high-quality discreet models which now come very compact. So by buying a more simple device, you could be attracting higher levels of theft than you would be if you brought an expensive cam.

Hide The Cables 

As we mentioned above, these types of theft are typically done by passers-by who see valuables, having your dashcams wires trawled all over your window screen puts your vehicle at risk as it shows there is some kind of electronics in the car for petty criminals. 

Always hide the cables of your hardwired dash cam within your car's interior to make it less noticeable, common mistakes such as accidentally showing off your hardwiring system can come with a big consequence.

Install a Car Alarm 

A simple safety precaution to have on your car is a car alarm, although many thieves know how to disable these anti-theft systems nowadays, for a couple of seconds that they go off, they can act as a theft alert and notify people around a car is being broken into. 

Some car alarms can even have security features and can send a push notification to your phone which is very helpful if you are not around.

Remove When Needed 

If you have to park in an area where there is a big theft crisis, make a risk assessment and see whether or not is worth removing the dashcam. Although this can take time and is not the most convenient thing to do, it can stop theft happening from in your car, which is the main thing. 

It could be ideal to look for a dashcam with a quick-release clip so as you can remove it quickly when needed.

Final Words

To conclude, people do steal dashcams, especially if they are designed to be very large and are in an obvious viewpoint in your car for passers-by. It is best as a simple precaution to remove your dashcam if you are not confident in the area you have parked or there is a crime wave and you should always have security on your car such as a car alarm to act as a deterrent to criminals.

We also recommend having a dashcam that backs up footage to the cloud in case it gets stolen this will allow you to see the details of people or masked thieves.