Anna’s car was burglarized. So was Sarah’s, and so was Chris’s. But the thieves didn’t use what cops call “the North Philly key,” i.e., a rock, to get into their vehicles.
They just opened the car doors — locked doors in alarmed cars. Often, they didn’t take much, but they left something behind.
A mystery.
The owners of several burglarized autos contacted by the Northeast Times have something in common. They all live in Mayfair or Tacony, and they all will swear they locked their cars and set their alarms.
Somebody got into their vehicles, they said, without tripping the alarms.
So, you could be of the opinion that they obviously did not lock their cars and set their alarms. Or, you might guess there is another — and high-tech — answer.
The thieves might have had a device that bypassed or disabled the cars’ alarms.
There is a small hand-held device being advertised on the Internet that purportedly can pop some factory-made electronic locks in seconds, allowing a thief to get into a car and steal what he likes.
“Our law enforcement partners tell us they are seeing this type of criminal activity and have recovered some of the illegal devices,” said Joe Wehrle, president and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
These devices are cheap and available on the Web, said Carol Kaplan, an NICB spokeswoman.
There have been several stories on the Web and on TV about these almost magical gizmos. Whether or not they actually work, well, that’s part of the mystery.
Most modern vehicles are locked and unlocked by remote-control key fobs. Press one button, the car doors lock. Press it again, the factory-installed alarm system is turned on. Press another, the alarm is off and the driver’s door unlocks. Press it again, all the doors unlock. Press another, the hidden ignition key appears.
Philly police are more than very aware of car burglaries as well as car thefts. There are plenty of those crimes occurring. Capt. John McCloskey, commander of the 15th Police District, recently told a small gathering that he had 46 car thefts and 50 vehicle burglaries in a very short period. However, he said he hadn’t heard of anybody circumventing car alarms. He believes the burglary victims just forgot to lock their cars.
“I am 100 percent sure I locked my car and set the alarm,” one victim said.
But like others who contacted the Northeast Times, he said he didn’t report the recent burglary of his 2014 Chrysler to police or his insurance company. It just wasn’t worth his time, he said. Very little was taken and his car wasn’t damaged.
Kaplan said NICB hasn’t authenticated the claims that what might be called a “skeleton car fob” actually can bypass alarms and unlock vehicle doors.
Still, she recommends caution. Don’t leave anything in your car, she said, echoing advice Philly police have been repeating for years. And, if possible, get another alarm system installed to back up the automaker’s security system. ••
Are you a victim?
Has your car been burglarized and you don’t know how it was done? Contact John Loftus at [email protected]. Write “car burglary” in the email subject field.
