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I wanted to provide an update regarding the theft of motor vehicles, which members around this area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the Met Engage priority survey. There has been an increase in Electric vehicles and Hyundai Ioniq's being stolen in Redbridge. Ford vehicles are on the rise in surrounding boroughs.
The police are working with manufacturers to have vehicles less susceptible to modern techniques of stealing vehicles which range from Relay, CAN bus, OBD port, Key cloning or signal jamming. If you own a car, please speak with your local dealer or manufacturer about added security. They may be able to offer software updates to prevent thefts.
Also consider added security to your vehicle and keys. Faraday bags for both working key and spare can help prevent relay thefts. The faraday bag will prevent the key from transmitting a signal, thus preventing the signal being relayed to the car.
Physical deterrents, like Steering locks, OBD port locks, Pedal locks can also prevent thefts.
After market immobilisers - Immobilisers can be coded using he Streeting wheel buttons/functions or dashboard Buttons/functions. This can be a unique sequence to which only the driver will know and prevent the engine being started without it.
Trackers - this helps with locating your vehicle and the ability to provide police with location of vehicle after being taken.
Consider not just one but multiple layers of security, i.e. Faraday bag and steering lock. The security required will be dependent on make and model of vehicle.
Please visit secure by design. Approved Metropolitan police site for products to help secure your vehicle/home/business https://www.securedbydesign.com
Please share with any you know to help reduce thefts of motor vehicles.
Police have been working on reducing thefts with proactive patrols. Arrests have been made and vehicle recovery is improving. We will continue to work and develop intelligence on the problem to assist with further reduction, but please consider added security to your vehicle to prevent offenders taking it.
I will be submitting a survey about make and models of vehicles to help provide bespoke prevention advice, according to the make of your vehicle.
Thank you for reading and hopefully by working together, we can make Redbridge safer.
 We know that people can be concerned about the personal and financial impact of having their vehicle stolen, which is why we will pursue and arrest those who break the law. Please consider taking the following steps to keep your vehicle safe: Check that your vehicle is locked and secure every time you leave it. Thieves often look for easy opportunities to steal from vehicles. They will usually try the handles until they get lucky and find one that has been left unlocked. Keep your keys safe, out of view when at home and away from your front door. If you have a keyless entry vehicle, keep the key well away from the vehicle while at home and turn off wireless signals on your fob when its not being used. Consider putting the keys in a screened or signal blocking pouch, such as a Faraday Bag and check that it is still working every few months. Park your vehicle in a private garage if you can. If you don’t have access to one, try to park in a well –lit open space. Try to use public car parks that are part of the police approved Park Mark safer parking scheme. Secure your number plates with tamper resistant screws to avoid them being stolen and used by others.
If you ever experience this issue or have information regarding an incident, please report it using our online reporting tools at https://www.met.police.uk/, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101. Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org. We are working on our brand-new strategy for how we police London and we want your help. Our New Met for London: Phase 2 strategy will guide how we deliver on behalf of Londoners over the next three years. | 
