Keyless technology drives rise in vehicle theft
Keyless car theft now accounts for the bulk of vehicle crime as criminals increasingly “exploit weaknesses in electronic security”.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) says organised crime gangs are using so-called ‘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 away the car.
NPCC lead for vehicle crime, Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims, said: “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.”
Last week, Leicestershire Police secured the conviction of seven members of an organised crime gang who were involved in more than 50 keyless thefts involving vehicles totalling £2.4 million. They were jailed for a total of more than 30 years.
And earlier this month in Liverpool, five people were sentenced to a total of more than 23 years in prison after being convicted of a range of offences, including the theft of keyless cars totalling around £2.6 million.
Provisional figures from the NPCC show a 3.1 per cent rise in vehicle crime between May 2021 and June 2021. It says the bulk of this increase is from keyless theft.
Clive Wain, head of police liaison for stolen vehicle recovery experts Tracker, says ‘relay attacks’ accounted for 93 per cent of all its recorded thefts in 2020 – a 27 per cent increase over the past five years.
Ms Sims is now urging drivers to “take simple steps to keep their vehicle safe”, such as storing keys in metal tins or protective pouches that block the devices criminals are using.
“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,” she added.
“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.”
Despite the recent small increase in this type of theft, overall theft of, and from, motor vehicles was down by 21 per cent according to the latest Office for National Statistics crime figures.