Car thieves go high tech

A device that was allegedly confiscated from two men, as they attempted to steal two vehicles at the Constant Spring tax office in St Andrew, has been confirmed to be a key re-programming gadget that allows criminals to steal a car within seconds, a senior police investigator has revealed.

Deputy Superintendent Glendale Murdock disclosed, too, that sophisticated car-stealing syndicates are also in possession of devices that are capable of intercepting the frequency for vehicles with remote keyless entry.

The revelation by Murdock, crime officer for the St Andrew North Police, provides a glimpse into the sophistication behind a spike in stolen motor vehicles across communities that fall within the division.

The key re-programming device is connected to the car’s computer system, generating an alternative key within seconds, he said as he sought to explain how it works.

“We had formed the theory that these persons have technology at their disposal, using it in the theft of motor vehicles. But now we can confirm that because we have seized one of these devices,” Murdock said during a virtual meeting with community stakeholders in the division yesterday.

Able to disarm trackers

“We are seeing where persons are able to steal a motor vehicle in under a minute. And we have seen where car thieves are sometimes able to disarm trackers, so we ask you to add another layer of protection.”

A keyless remote, typically used in vehicles with push-button start, relies on radio frequency to send instructions to the vehicle, the senior investigator said.

“We have information that there are persons who have in their possession devices that can intercept that frequency and then replicate it in order to gain access to your car,” Murdock revealed.

He said the police have made “numerous” arrests and recovered other “sophisticated technology” being used by criminals but did not disclose specific details.

A total of 141 motor vehicles valued at $196 million were reported stolen across the St Andrew North Police Division in the first 10 months of this year, a near 20 per cent increase year-on-year, according to the latest data.

Nineteen of those vehicles, valued approximately $30 million, have been recovered.

Ninety-five per cent of motor vehicle thefts across the division occurred on weekends between midnight and 6 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Seventy-seven were Toyotas, 24 were Nissans, and 15 were Hondas.

Deputy Superintendent Dalian Clarke, head of operations for the division, said “a majority” of the vehicles were stolen from the Constant Spring area. The areas mainly affected are Havendale, Meadowbrook, and Mannings Hill Road.

St Andrew North is one of 19 police divisions that cover Jamaica.

“Vehicles are being stolen, and if you look at the value these thefts are generating, it is a significant amount of money that is being placed in the hands of criminals,” said Murdock, noting that stolen motor vehicles are mainly scrapped for parts or sold for well below market value.

The police have not yet responded to a request made by The Gleaner on September 17 this year for national data on motor vehicle theft in the first month of the year and the comparative period last year.

However, an investigator in another police division disclosed that the police had begun to take a keen interest in the increasing number of auto parts stores that are popping up across the country.

“We have to try and find out where they are getting their parts from … . Those have to be part of the analysis and the investigation,” he said.

Murdock urged residents to be vigilant during the Christmas season and invest in multiple anti-theft devices for their vehicles.

livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com