Surrey NhW - car thefts and catalyst thefts in Surrey
The statistics from Surrey Police indicate there is a recent notable increase of thefts of cars with 'keyless' entry. The biggest increase is in Spelthorne, Runnymede and Elmbridge, but the other boroughs are not far behind. These thefts are carried out by using hand-held devices that pick up the signal from your keys and amplify them to the car and so cause the car to unlock the doors and activate the ignition. "Gone in 60 seconds".
Please help yourselves by carrying out a number of simple actions that will reduce the risk.
1) Do not leave your car keys anywhere close to the car, such as by the front door. Place them in a metal container (the fridge is ideal) which blocks the signal.
2) Buy a 'farady' key bag/pouch to hold the keys. Less than £10. The signal is then blocked.
3) Buy a steering wheel lock and fit it every time you park. On sale for as little as £60. This will deter any thieves as it will take too long and make too much noise to remove. The thieves will move on to the next car.
4) Park the car where it will be difficult to take it, and make sure the area is well lit.
5) Disable the keyless entry if possible. If the key fob has buttons to open and close the doors then you should be able to disable the keyless option. It's not hard to press a button to unlock and lock the car doors. It wasn't that long ago that we had to put a key in the door lock and turn it to get in the car.
Catalytic converter thefts also continue. Get a SelectaMark marking kit. It deters the thieves as the cat. will be marked with a number and so make it traceable. If you can see the catalyst when you look under the car then it is easily accessed and can be stolen in 60 seconds. https://www.selectadna.co.uk/products/selectamark-cat-marking-kit
Make sure your car is parked in such a way that it is difficult for the thief to jack the side of the car up and slide underneath to saw the device off the exhaust pipe.
