We know that vehicle crime in the West Midlands is experiencing a downward trend thanks to a special focus on chop shops and the organised gangs who run them, but the rest of the country is experiencing a rise. In 2023, a car was stolen every 8 minutes in the UK, and there’s a definite trend towards keyless vehicles; nearly 70% of recovered stolen vehicles were ones with keyless entry and start functions.
Keyless Entry
Cars with keyless entry and start are attractive to thieves. Although the movies make it look simple, it’s not as easy as it seems to hotwire a car, and most car thieves do need the keys to start the vehicle and make off. This is easy with a keyless car parked on a drive, as it’s likely that the keys will be within range of the vehicle. With a signal booster, car criminals can hijack the signal from those keys in the driver’s coat pocket hanging by the front door, open and start the car and be away before the owner knows anything is wrong.
If you have a keyless car, keep the fob in a metal box inside the house or a special Faraday pouch or bag. These block radio signals and prevent the key from making a connection with the car via the thieves’ signal booster. It is a good idea to create a habit of keeping your car key in one of these pouches; if you’re having a Sunday roast at the pub, or perhaps you’ve nipped into the post office and the car parked outside, you’re probably still in range. In both these cases you may be close enough to the car for thieves to hijack the signal. If you have a desirable car it is a target all the time, not just when parked at home.
CCTV
Home CCTV that covers a drive way is an excellent deterrent against car thieves, especially in the West Midlands where the most likely culprits are working for a gang and are aware they’re being targeted by the police. Evidence from cameras and eyewitnesses are hard to deny in court, so by covering your property (and we can set up the camera to keep recording areas within the law) you’re sending a very clear message not to steal your vehicle.
Removing Attraction
Theft from vehicles, especially vans, is still a serious consideration. While our police force is actively taking down gangs that steal vehicles, the people that steal from vehicles are a different matter. Tools, personal electronics and cash are all major attractors for thieves, and even a gym bag can be a target if there’s the chance that expensive trainers are inside it.
Don’t leave items on display whether you’re parked at home or somewhere else, and if you do have a work van with fitted tool racks, making it difficult to fully remove everything overnight, it is even more important that you deter would-be thieves with CCTV, a vehicle alarm and a clear note that no tools are left in the vehicle overnight.
Use Your Garage
If you have a garage, always park your car or van inside to give you the extra protection of your domestic intruder alarm. Someone attempting to open your garage door will trigger the alarm and notify you, or our monitoring centre and the police can be summoned. We can set up your system so that the garage can be armed separately to the rest of the building, keeping your car safe even when you’re at home with it.
Call P&R Alarms today to ensure you’re not the victim of vehicle crime.