Keyless Car Thefts in Uphill

With the recent outbreak of keyless car thefts in Uphill the following police advice is repeated:

The UK’s top police officer investigating vehicle crime is encouraging drivers to take steps to keep their car safe amid a rise in criminals exploiting keyless technology. 

Provisional figures from the National Police Chiefs’ Council showed a 3.1% increase between May 2021 and June 2021 in vehicle crime. The bulk of this increase is from keyless theft. 

Intelligence shows organised crime gangs are using relay technology to receive the signal from a key inside a house and transfer it to a portable device, allowing them to unlock and drive the car.  

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Vehicle Crime, Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims, said: 

“Car theft is a serious crime that causes significant distress and upset to owners and police are putting considerable resources into tackling it and bringing those responsible to justice.  

“Whilst the rapid development of technology has dramatically improved the experience of drivers it has also allowed criminals to exploit weaknesses in electronic security. We are working closely with car manufacturers to help them design out crime by sharing intelligence and equipment seized from criminals. We are already making substantial progress in this regard. 

“I would urge drivers to take simple steps to keep their vehicle safe like storing your keys in metal tins or protective pouches that block the devices criminals are using. A return to basics like making sure your car is locked is worthwhile too. We know from research that some owners think that cars automatically lock – they don’t. Always double check before you walk away that it’s locked.” 

To prevent theft drivers can take simple steps like double checking a car is locked, keeping keys out of sight and away from windows and doors and storing key cards in a metal tin or security pouch. 

There are more tips on how to keep your vehicle safe at police.uk. 

Anyone with any information about the theft of cars should contact police on 101, through the  police.uk website or through Crimestoppers