PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia police are seeing an increase in car thefts across the city. As part of the department’s “Together We Can Prevent Auto Theft” campaign, officers went door-to-door in Southwest Philly on Tuesday, informing residents how to keep their cars safe.
They shared tips that may seem obvious, but they are vital to preventing car theft:
— Lock your doors and take your keys with you every time.
— Park in well-lit, visible areas.
— Never leave your vehicle running unattended.
Officials said some thieves are using more novel methods. They can clone key fobs by relaying the signal emitted from the owner’s key to someone near the car, who uses the frequency to unlock and start the vehicle.
Police recommend that residents not keep their key fobs near their front doors, as thieves can still pick up a signal. Instead, drivers can put their keys in Faraday bags, which block that signal from being picked up.
Matthew Johnson, a newly assigned captain in the 12th District, said the old-fashioned club lock still works, too.
“That’s a visual deterrent,” he said. “You know that that’ll take the theft a lot longer to occur versus something that isn’t secure in that manner.”
According to Philadelphia police statistics, car thefts are up slightly from this time last year.