Tackling Brentford's 'Keyless' Car Thefts

Police launch awareness campaign urging owners to take extra precautions

Related Links


Neighbourhood Watch

In an emergency ALWAYS dial 999
For all NON emergency calls use 101
If you have no mobile signal, 999 will NOT work but 112 will put you straight through to the emergency services. 112 will also work anywhere in Europe.

Policing Pledge (pdf)

Community Safety

CRIMESTOPPER 0800 555 111 www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Contact Information:
Inspector Darren Cornish
Police Sergeant Ehab Al-Hashimi
Police Constable Steven Gilbert
Designated Ward Officer PCSO Faisal Puttyraj
Brentford Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT)
Brentford and Chiswick INPT
Safer Neighbourhood Team
Chiswick Police Station
209-211 High Road
Chiswick
W4 2DU

brentford.snt@met.police.uk
Office tel: 020 8247 6567
or 020 8247 6483
Mobile tel: 07881723891

Safer Neighbourhoods

Police Counter Terrorism Command (CTC) Anti-Terrorist hotline 0800 789 321

Hounslow Council Weekend Noise Team: 020 8583 2222

Report a Crime: 0300 123 1212

Metropolitan Police Fraud Alert

Crime in Brentford

Join Neighbourhood Link

Crime Prevention Website

Participate
Sign up for our free newsletter

Comment on this story on the

Police launch an awareness campaign to tackle the incidence of 'keyless' vehicle thefts. Over a quarter of vehicles are stolen without the owners' keys, police have revealed as they mount an awareness week to urge owners to take extra precautions.

Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprinter vans, Ford Fiestas, and some BMW and Land Rover models accounted for 70% of all vehicles stolen without their keys in 2014.

Thieves use a device which bypasses the vehicle’s electronic information as the owner locks it, or they break into the vehicle and connect a device to the OBD port, downloading the vehicle’s information onto a blank key in a matter of seconds. The new key is then compatible with the vehicle, so it disables the alarm and the vehicle can simply be driven away.

Police say that this crime peaks between 2200hrs and 0400hrs, when it is dark, Sundays to Thursdays. The majority of thefts are by organised gangs using key-programming devices to create duplicate keys for vehicles.The disappearance of a vehicle overnight is bewildering for owners who are convinced they have properly locked their car.

Criminals drive the vehicles into the home counties, where most are stripped down into their component parts and then shipped abroad. They are sold on as far afield as Africa, where particular types of vehicle are in high demand.

Steering Wheel lock

24,062 vehicles of all kinds were stolen across London, of which 6,283 were keyless thefts - that is 26% of all vehicle thefts. Forty-two per cent of these were cars and vans.

East London is the borough most affected by keyless vehicle theft. In Hounslow borough the figure was 130 for the year, a better result than Redbridge at 602 but not as good as Kingston at 35.

The vehicles are targeted based on the desirability of their parts and range from prestige cars to vans.

Valuables on display
Police advise people not to leave valuables on display

Police officers are out in force this week urging drivers to “protect their vehicle like they would their home”, in a week of coordinated activity to tackle keyless vehicle theft

The campaign, codenamed Operation Endeavour, follows an 8% increase in vehicle theft across London in the last year.

Neighbourhood policing teams in every borough will hold local crime prevention events, targeted patrols and will be leafleting in hot-spot areas, to raise awareness amongst drivers.

Advice includes using a steering wheel lock or gear-stick lock; getting on-board diagnostics lock (OBD) professional fitted; parking in an area with CCTV; double-checking the vehicle is locked;
Consider purchasing a tracking device to increase the chances of the vehicle being traced if it is stolen


Det Ch Supt Carl Bussey, lead for Operation Endeavour, said the gangs regard keyless vehicle theft as a low-risk, high-return crime, with the most valued motor engines fetching anything up to £1,000 when sold on the black market, and entire vehicles making up to £10,000.

“Last year alone we arrested almost 1,000 people for vehicle theft, and with more coordinated activity we aim to reduce vehicle theft by 20% by 2016.

“We know that criminals are targeting all sorts of vehicles - not just the most expensive - so if you value your vehicle, then it is worth investing time and money on extra security.”

Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited, said: "The challenge remains that some forms of keyless theft involve equipment legitimately available to workshops for routine repairs and servicing, and a small minority of individuals are exploiting this to access vehicles illegally. SMMT and vehicle manufacturers continue to call for stronger safeguards within government regulations to ensure this equipment does not fall into the wrong hands. The law must also provide severe penalties to act as a deterrent."

Vehicles owners can find information and advice about keyless vehicle theft on the new MPS website www.met.police.uk/keylessvehicletheft .

 

February 5, 2015

Bookmark and Share