Vehicle thefts in your area

Vehicle thefts in your area

South Wales Police has received a high number of reports of vehicle thefts across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan over the past month.

We are seeing offenders targeting keyless-entry vehicles, particularly Nissan and Ford models. Criminals can use relay devices to capture and amplify the signal from a vehicle's key fob, enabling them to unlock and start the vehicle while the keys remain inside the owner's home.

Due to this increase, we are urging all vehicle owners to take extra precautions when leaving their vehicles unattended:

Always lock your vehicle, even if you are only leaving it unattended for a short time.

Where possible, park in well-lit, public areas, preferably overlooked by homes or CCTV.

Keep key fobs away from doors, windows and letterboxes.

Store key fobs in a signal-blocking Faraday pouch or box when not in use.

If available, disable the keyless-entry function when your vehicle is parked.

Consider additional security measures such as a steering wheel lock, driveway bollard, wheel clamp, tracker or alarm system.

Remove valuables from your vehicle and do not leave items on display.

Remain vigilant for suspicious activity around parked vehicles and report any concerns to police.

If your vehicle has manufacturer software updates or enhanced security features available, ensure these are installed and kept up to date.

Taking a few simple precautions and adding visible security measures can help reduce the risk of vehicle theft.

If you witness a vehicle theft taking place, or believe a vehicle is in immediate danger of being stolen, call 999. For non-emergencies, contact 101 or report the matter online.

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Message Sent By
Kieron Clarke
(South Wales Police, PCSO, Barry NPT Team 1 East)