Sadly in the L.A. Metro area thefts from vehicles is rampant. And they take anything that isn't nailed down. They may toss it later, but they are going to take it. My particular vehicle is a Tacoma. One of the most popular pickups to steal, or just steal parts from. My property doesn't have space to park off street. So, while I have an alarm, kill switch and physical locking devices to prevent theft of the vehicle, it's still wide open to smash and grabs. Anything tempting in lain sight just ups the chances.
I could go on and on why this is so, but the reality is there is no enforcement of the laws regarding vehicle thefts and thefts from vehicles. Oh, you can go online and file a report (at least the trees won't be harmed) but it will never been seen by human eyes.