In recent weeks, understandable concerns have arisen following the theft of motor vehicles in Kenilworth outside people’s homes, often from their private drives. The thefts are likely the work of serious organised crime gangs, and Warwickshire Police are working alongside other forces to detect these criminals.

Nevertheless, there are things we can do to help ourselves and make it much less easy for these criminals. While they can come to Kenilworth and succeed in stealing vehicles, they are likely to keep coming back. If we can all make things more complicated, they will become less successful and eventually go elsewhere until they are caught. We all have a role to play and a contribution to make, which can make a real difference in reducing these crimes. 

Posts on social media have included CCTV showing some of the techniques offenders use to gain access and control of a motor vehicle with keyless ignition. It can make for unnerving viewing. The latest such event was at Windy Arbour, Kenilworth.

In addition, there have been other events in Kenilworth known as “Car Key Burglaries”, where offenders break into a home to locate the keys to the motor vehicle they wish to steal. Both these types of crimes are worrying for householders and vehicle owners. However, we want to impress upon householders some things that can be done that significantly reduce you becoming the next victim of these types of crime.

Two such “Car Key Burglary” events have occurred in Kenilworth in the last ten days, one at Best Avenue and another at Birches Lane, Kenilworth.

Kenilworth Watch wants to share with you what householders can do to help protect themselves and their property.

Car Key Burglary

The last thing any householder wants is to be burgled. Criminals will always look for the easiest pickings so the easier you make it for them the greater the chance you could be a victim, especially if you have a high value motor vehicle of the type and make they would like to steal. Of course no householder knowingly makes things easy for criminals but there are things that many householders are not fully aware of. 

By far the greatest vulnerability can be the standard locks that are fitted on most front and rear doors. Please watch the video to see just how easy it is to break into a home by snapping one of these standard locks. It takes just 18 seconds.

Entry to properties is primarily obtained by snapping the lock of rear or side doors, most of which are the standard UPVC or composite doors that are fitted on most properties these days.

Lock snapping typically enables entry to a property within 9 seconds or so. This is why we make no apology for advising householders to check their locks, and if they are not of the anti-snap standard, please seriously consider having them changed.

It is pleasing to know that following a campaign we ran in the Autumn of 2022 over fifty properties in Kenilworth fitted anti-snap locks. That was and is excellent news and for those properties they now have one of the most effective deterrents available to protect their property from burglary.

CCTV is another helpful tool to protect your property and capture suspicious activity. However, CCTV is not as effective as anti-snap locks or monitored burglar alarms because offenders have gotten wise to techniques to hide their identity, meaning the deterrent effect still exists, but it’s not as great as anti-snap locks and monitored burglar alarms.

We realise that people’s budgets are stretched with the cost of living significantly increasing. Nevertheless, if you have valuable property in your home, you wish to protect it. In that case, fitting anti-snap locks is a sensible decision and one that with two doors should not cost a prohibitive amount compared to the valuables you seek to protect.

Anti Snap locks are available from all reputable local locksmiths.

We have liaised with Eydens Locksmiths of Coventry who can provide Ultion anti snap locks and if you wish fit them at your home for you too. You can contact Eydens between Monday to Saturday between 9am to 5.30pm on 02476 332524. More information at; https://www.eydens.co.uk

Proof that Anti Snap Locks Deter

A recent event in Kenilworth involving a householder showed how effective anti snap locks are. The householder was away on holiday and a key holder was unable to open the front door because the door mechanism (not the anti snap lock) was jammed. Two other doors were available to gain entry to the property but both had anti snap locks fitted and the key holder did not have keys to those doors. It took an approved locksmith over 3 hours to gain entry to the property!

This is why when most criminals see you have anti snap locks fitted they just don’t try and go somewhere else that’s easier.

Keyless Car Theft

We advise all owners of vehicles with keyless entry systems to switch off the key signal when the vehicle has been locked if they have such technology with their vehicle and keys. More importantly, a steering lock device and placing the keys in a metal container or metal lined pouch is the most effective way of deterring and preventing these type of thefts.

Steering Wheel Lock

Fitting a visible robust steering lock such as Milenco or Disclok to high-value vehicles such as Audi, Range Rover and BMW’s is effective and a very visible deterrent. While these vehicles may have include a tracker, these do not always put off thieves. The cost of the Disklok is minimal against the value of the vehicle, but it deters theft because it makes it so difficult for the criminal to steal the vehicle.

Faraday Box and Pouch

The Faraday box and pouch is a first line of defence against relay attacks, cocooning your keys and stopping criminals from boosting its signal. Any metal container will do – a biscuit tin, a filing cabinet, even a microwave – though purpose-made products are inexpensive and effective and easily available online.

A summary of our advice is shown in this advice leaflet at the end of this post. We produced advice to help Kenilworth householders to protect themselves from becoming the next victim of crime that we find ourselves putting out our latest crime alert about.

Finally, if you haven’t already done so, why not subscribe to Kenilworth Watch and join over 1,700 other households in Kenilworth that receive 24/7 crime alerts and updates direct to your smartphone, tablet or PC. Your data is not shared, used by or sold to any other party and is only used for the purposes of providing information related to Neighbourhood Watch in and around Kenilworth.

If you wish or need to contact Warwickshire Police’s Safer Neighbourhood Team for Kenilworth you can do so here: https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/area/your-area/local-policing-team-contact/contact-your-local-policing-team/