The Easter Bunny arrived with mixed tidings for some Petts Woodians this year, as they discovered just how much our motor vehicles are under threat of attack. Together with Easter egg hunts, an emerging wave of crime is washing over the area, indicating that car jackers are using ever more sophisticated technological devices to unlock and drive away our hard earned automobiles.

                          

A number of residents took to social media to warn their local community that they had been the victims of crime, or the subjects of near misses. On 16 April one family from Crescent Drive reported having both of their cars stolen from their driveway, whilst two others from Manor Way warned that theirs had been broken into in the early hours of Good Friday, but thankfully the thief was unable to make off with the vehicles. It has been proven that even toilet cleaning equipment is now being used to break into cars, as a local resident and victim of the crime, claimed “We found a plunger mark on our car which I’ve since found is a method used to pop the lock”. During another incident, a resident stated that thieves had opened compartments in her vehicle, probably looking for valuables, to only find a half-eaten mouldy apple. What a disappointment that must have been!

 

Around the corner at a similar time that night, Mr Chris Hunt of Birchwood Road was also impacted by a perpetrator getting into his car parked on his gated driveway and stealing various items before escaping on foot. After speaking to the police Mr Hunt advised that "The officer believes watchful burglars are using electronic devices, all too easily obtainable these days, which jam the signal when one seeks to remote-lock their car. As such the vehicle remains open for the criminal to enter unabated. I'm thankful these guys didn't use even smarter pieces of kit which can not only open the car but also start up the engine to drive away."

 

The type of incident Mr Hunt is referring to occurred in the run up to Easter in Grays, Essex, in which CCTV footage shows a thief using a laptop to unlock a keyless entry/start Mercedes Benz, before driving off moments later. This has prompted vehicle manufacturers to comment on how they are forever analysing the latest relevant trends from the criminal community in seeking to upgrade their anti-theft protection. A Mercedes spokesman remarked that "When enhancing our protective mechanisms we take into account the latest knowledge about criminal methods and about attacks on security systems. We also offer our customers the option of deactivating the radio signal with two clicks of the key in order to prevent abuse."

 

And so, as the battle rages on between car makers and savvy thieves, in this age of ever increasing hi-tech development, will we be forced to return to somewhat dated, pre-cyber deterrents like sturdy, high visibility locks around our steering wheels?

By Serena Hunt, Bromley High School