POLICE have again issued a warning to all motorists to physically check that their vehicle doors are indeed locked and the alarm set before walking away from their vehicles.
It has come to light that criminals are using garage door and automated gate remotes to intercept the signal of the vehicle remotes so that the vehicle does not lock and the alarm remains unarmed.
“The criminal then has total uninterrupted access to the vehicle as passers-by would not suspect that anything is amiss because the vehicle has not been forced open,” said police spokesman Captain Vincent Pandarum. “They then help themselves to valuables in the vehicles and in some instances steal the vehicle,” he said.
Should a motorist find that the vehicle door did not lock despite activating the remote control, he or she should look around for any suspicious persons as the criminal with the intercepting remote would have to be close by for it to be effective. Report all such incidents to the local police immediately. This modus operandi is most common in busy mall and shopping complex parking areas.
Motorists are also cautioned against leaving valuables such as cameras, laptops, ipads and handbags lying on the seats in plain sight of passers-by as these are easy pickings for the opportunistic thief. Rather keep them locked in the boot or concealed beneath your seats. “Firearm owners are reminded that it is unlawful to leave a firearm in a vehicle. Should the firearm be stolen they would be charged with negligent loss of a firearm or failing to safeguard a firearm,” warned Captain Pandarum.
