Motor vehicle thefts

Dear Resident,

I would like to make you aware that there has been a slight increase in thefts of motor vehicles within the borough over recent weeks. Our officers are actively investigating these incidents and carrying out targeted patrols, but we are also asking for your help in keeping your vehicle safe.

Your vigilance makes a real difference, if you see anyone acting suspiciously around vehicles, please report it to us via 101 or online at www.met.police.uk or call 999 in an emergency.

Please as a minimum consider doing the following to make your vehicle less vulnerable to thieves

Keyless entry

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

Useful links