COLOMBO, Aug. 21 -- Negligence on the part of vehicle owners and parking in insecure locations are contributing significantly to the rising number of car, motorcycle and three-wheeler thefts reported across the country, Police Media Spokesman Assistant Superintendent of Police F. U. Wootler said.

Speaking at a special media briefing in Colombo on Friday (21), Wootler urged the public to take greater precautions to protect their vehicles and valuables from theft, noting that police were receiving an increasing number of complaints involving stolen cars, motorcycles and three-wheelers, with many incidents linked to avoidable lapses in vehicle security.

Among the common mistakes were leaving motorcycles unattended with their engines runnin...