Syston Police News

Beat surgery – Saturday 26th November 11am to 12noon, Town Square, Syston.

Crime prevention advice: – Theft of motor vehicle
Locking your vehicle, even when filling up or parked on your drive, greatly reduces the possibility of it being targeted by an opportunist thief. Even if you have locked your vehicle, check you haven’t left any windows or the sunroof open.
It is actually illegal to leave your vehicle running unattended while you de-ice it or warm it up in cold weather. If someone takes it while it’s left like this, your insurer won’t pay out because you won’t be covered.
If your vehicle has wing mirrors that fold in automatically when locked, make sure you lock it properly. Criminal gangs are looking for vehicles like these where the wing mirrors are still out because it is clear to them that the vehicle has been left unlocked.
Vehicles today are by and large more difficult to steal than ever, unless the thief can access your key or fob to clone them. Keep your keys safe, out of view when at home, and away from your front door. It’s not uncommon for car keys to be stolen from inside your home by thieves fishing for them with a stick and hook through the letterbox.
Cars with keyless entry unlock automatically when the key comes within a short distance of the car. This can be from inside a pocket or bag. If you have to push a button on your car key to open your car, you don’t have keyless entry.
Keyless car theft or ‘relay theft’ is when a device is used to fool the car into thinking the key is close by. This unlocks the car and starts the ignition.
Thieves only need to be within a few metres of your car key to capture the signal, even if it’s inside your home. This means that even if your car and home are secure, thieves can still unlock, start and steal your car.
How to protect your keyless entry car
* When at home keep your car key (and the spare) well away from the car.
* Put the keys in a screened or signal-blocking pouch, such as a Faraday Bag.
* Reprogramme your keys if you buy a second-hand car.
* Turn off wireless signals on your fob when it’s not being used.
It’s always advisable to avoid parking in dark and secluded areas. It’s worth an extra five or ten-minute walk if it means your vehicle is left in a well-lit and busier street.
Many modern vehicles are fitted with engine management diagnostic ports, which can unlock and start your vehicle. If your vehicle has this type of port, consider fitting a lockable cover.
Electronic devices can be used to jam the electronic signal from your key fob to lock your vehicle. Always manually check your vehicle has locked before walking away.
The fact that you’re in the car isn’t always a deterrent to someone trying to steal it.
In traffic, drive with the doors locked and when queuing leave enough space in front of your vehicle to enable you to get out of a tight spot. If your vehicle is bumped from behind, wait to pull over – somewhere safe and preferably where there are people. After all, you don’t know the person who has collided with you; they could well be hijackers.
If your car is stolen, some modern vehicle alarm and tracker systems have the facility to isolate or shut down fuel systems, bringing the vehicle to a halt and leaving the thief high and dry.
PC 196 Jo Freeman