PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Nearly 10,000 cars have been stolen in the city this year, down from 14,000 last year. Many vehicles are recovered, often unscathed, but some are used in crimes or illegally resold. As part of a new initiative, city police will be going door to door this week to inform car owners on how to keep their vehicles safe.
For a woman from Port Richmond, who wished not to be identified, it took less than 10 minutes for thieves to steal her car, and she says they tried to sell it on Facebook.
“I was mad because we are working hard, and two people stole the car — I don’t know where, but we are working so hard,” she said.
Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said that with just a handheld device, thieves are getting into keyless cars by cloning fobs or overriding the fob system.
“We want to do everything to stop this trend and end it very quickly,” he said.
Major Crimes Lt. Brian Geer, who handles car theft investigations, explained how the technology works.
"They are downloading a pin code and a passcode into that device, and then they are creating their own key fobs," he said.
The Port Richmond woman has a video showing the thieves pull up in front of her home. They did not break anything; instead, they copied the key fob and drove off in her car.
"They make a key!" she said.
As part of the new initiative, police will be going through neighborhoods and handing out information on how to keep cars safe.
Police urge car owners to always turn off their vehicles and bring keys or fobs with them, even if stepping away briefly. They also recommend keeping registration and insurance documents with you, not in the car, so vital information is available if a car is stolen.
Vanore said police also have license plate readers on some cars, which may help track a stolen vehicle.
For those with keyless access, devices like signal-blocking pouches or boxes and steering wheel locks, such as “The Club,” can help protect vehicles.
Even adding an AirTag to a concealed area of the car, like the engine bay or within the seat lining, can help locate your car in the event of it being stolen.