A recent trend has been happening throughout the South Bay that involves car theft. San Jose has been one of the hardest hit cities suffering from the trend. The San Jose Police Department held a press conference this week to discuss the trend and the uptick in auto thefts. In the press conference, they discussed that auto thefts have increased to have an average of 15 vehicles stolen daily in San Jose alone. This rise in car thefts has to do with a high-tech development that car thieves have been using to assist in their thieving. The Deputy Chief of the San Jose Police Department, Brandon Sanchez, says the advanced technology has opened more doors for auto thieves.
Largely, the technology comes in the form of devices that bypass ignition systems.
According to Deputy Chief Sanchez, many of the devices they have found are being used in this way are legitimate devices that can be purchased online. This is because the products do have legitimate use as well. Unfortunately, they have been found to have use for illegal purposes as well. When the device bypasses the ignition system, a car is started whether the key is present or not. This makes cars easy to steal, as they can then simply be driven off.
A local locksmith in the San Jose area has spoken with news sources to show the process.
The locksmith, Leon Makarenko, spoke with local ABC7 news affiliates. With them, he explained that the keyless devices are professional grade tools most often used by locksmiths. However, they are very quick and easy to purchase online and require no proof of profession. Makarenko took note of how many industries require proof of certification or employment in that industry to purchase items from supplies. For example, in the beauty industry, many brands require a license in order to purchase certain items in certain ways. However, this is not the case for locksmiths and is what has ultimately gotten the city into this mess.
Makarenko said he has been receiving at least three weekly calls regarding this issue.
When a car has been stolen using the keyless ignition starter, the vehicle has to be reprogrammed to operate as it was intended to. This means for most victims of the car thefts, if/when they get their car back, they need to have it reprogrammed to align with the keys they have.
The keyless device really only works on newer vehicles that do not require key insertion.
New vehicles that have push to start operations and merely require the key to be present in the vehicle are the most susceptible to the theft device. Older vehicles that require a physical key to be entered into the vehicle are harder to steal, but it is doable. Locksmiths, such as Makarenko, suggest installing kill switches to older vehicles as a protection enhancer. For newer vehicles, thy suggest aftermarket alarm systems, such as one known as Ghost.
The biggest target of the trend seems to be Hyundais.
Hyundais have been victims of targeted car thefts for quite some time, after an internet trend exposed how simple it can be to steal them. A simple protective measure that is advised is a wheel lock. A local Hyundai dealer donated 100 wheel locks to the local authorities. With proof of residence and vehicle registration, Hyundai owners can receive a free wheel lock.
