The Silver Spring Penguin

Onboard navigation devices and iPods are big draws for thieves, even when they’ve been stowed out of sight, the police department warns.

Dashboard mounts, brackets and braces are enough to catch a thief’s attention, the PD says. And sometimes, tucking those items beneath a seat won’t cut it.

“There’s an antenna [on the vehicle] that lets people know there’s a GPS inside,” Vera White, the area’s chief prosecutor, said in May.

And even after the devices, their accessories and antennae have been concealed, the police warn that round marks created by a mount’s suction cup are enough to do it.

To stay ahead of thieves, the PD recommends wiping down the suction cup mark with a microfiber cloth. About 1,200 free cloths will be distributed at the PD’s crime prevention tent at the Montgomery County agricultural fair in Gaithersburg.

Since the beginning of the year, 84 gadgets have been stolen out of cars in the third police district, according to a PD press statement. Those tech toys include GPS units and MP3 players, as well as cell phones, Bluetooth devices and satellite radio receivers.

The good news: At least Silver Spring isn’t in the second police district. That area, which includes Bethesda, has had 165 tech toys stolen from cars since the beginning of the year.