Car thieves are using more high-tech and innovative ways to steal vehicles, police say.
And, with a new initiative that Philadelphia police are planning to undertake, officials look to combat what they called an “evolving threat.”
Stream Philadelphia News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC10.
The new effort will be called the “Together, We Can Prevent Auto Theft” campaign, and, according to a statement from police, it intends to protect drivers “from the evolving threat of stolen vehicles driven by innovative and high-tech criminal tactics.”
“Securing your vehicle inside and out is an essential part of the fight against theft,” said Philadelphia Police Lieutenant Brian Geer, of Major Crimes, in a statement. “By preventing unauthorized access to your vehicle and the vehicle’s internal systems, we can significantly reduce the risk of thieves exploiting workarounds to a vehicle’s security – making our streets safer for everyone.”
In a statement, officials said the new initiative has been created in response to “emerging high tech tactics” that police have seen being used to steal vehicles, including the use of relay devices and keyless entry hacking.
Through this initiative, officials said, police hope to provide car owners with information to help them prevent thefts and learn about what tactics thieves are using to steal newer vehicles.
Officials said, in a statement, that the effort will focus on installing anti-theft devices, being vigilant about protecting key fobs and using additional locking methods to secure vehicles.
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Also, officials said, through this effort, officers will be visiting “hot spots” throughout the city, where vehicle thefts happen most frequently, to distribute information about this new initiative and alert drivers to information available to prevent auto thefts.
However, police have not yet announced just when this new initiative will begin.
For more information on the new initiative, go to watchyourcar.org.

source