Wiltshire Police wish to alert people to a series of keyless entry car thefts in the North and West Swindon area over the past six weeks.
Five high value vehicles have been stolen from driveways of addresses since January where thieves manage to get in to and drive the vehicle off by using a transmitting device which mimics the keyless fob.
The thefts have been from the following areas:
St Andrew’s Ridge on 23 January
Oakhurst on 2 February
Tadpole Gardens on 17 February
Middleleaze on 19 February
Webb Lane on 26 February
Here are some crime prevention points to consider which could prevent a vehicle which uses the keyless system from being taken:
- Put the key card/fob in a Faraday case/pouch to block any transmissions
- Park the vehicle in a locked garage
- Install a parking post/bollard on the driveway
- Use an additional steering lock
- If you have a second, non-keyless vehicle, park that behind the high value one
- Check if your keyless fobs can be switched off
- Check with your car dealership as they can offer advice and the manufacturer/dealer can often track the vehicle if it is stolen.
- If the vehicle is a company car, check with your fleet managers who can offer crime prevention and tracking advice.
PC Keith Macdonald said: “These measures are all about preventing the opportunist thief from happening upon your vehicle and overriding the keyless system to steal it.
“All are fairly cheap and simple measures to stop an offender taking one of the most expensive items people buy.
“We are investigating if these thefts are being carried out by the same people and increased patrols have been taking place in these areas of Swindon too.”
