WATCH the moment brazen thieves use a high-tech trick to swipe a Mercedes in under 20 seconds.
The devices are now used in 40 per cent of all cases of stolen motors and are used to jam locking systems.
4
4
4
The car signal jammers work by scrambling the radio signal from remote keys, meaning thieves can get into the car without needing to unlock it.
Anyone found with one could face five years behind bars and an unlimited fine under new plans which will be set out in parliament this week.
In the video, the brazen thieves can be seen creeping towards a car on a driveway.
One thief focuses on unlocking the vehicle, while the other moves towards the house while fumbling around with a bag.
House lights brighten the scene and the thief jumps into the car.
The thief nearest the house sprints away while the other reverses the car off the drive.
It was previously only illegal to have one of the devices if it could be proven to be have been used in a car theft.
This new measure is part of the government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which will be introduced to Parliament on Tuesday.
Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire Prevention, Dame Diana Johnson, said: “These thefts have a devastating effect on victims, who need their vehicles to go about their everyday lives.
We are aware of the real concerns people feel with the use of these electronic devices being so prolific.
“This is why we are introducing new laws focused on tackling this issue at source, which is what our Safer Streets mission and Plan for Change are all about.
These new laws will prevent these devices from getting into the hands of thieves and organised crime groups.
“We will also continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which includes supporting their National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership, which brings together the police and manufacturers to clamp down on vehicle crime.”
Last year 132,412 cars were stolen across England and Wales – or 370 a day.
That is up significantly from just over 10 years ago when just 70,053 were taken in 2013.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “With government statistics showing an average of 370 vehicles being stolen every day, outlawing the possession and distribution of signal jammers cannot come soon enough and we welcome the government’s action on this.
“Having your car stolen is not only a violation, it causes massive amounts of stress and inconvenience as well as higher insurance costs for the individual concerned and drivers generally.”
AA president, Edmund King, said: “This is a positive step, and these tougher sentences should make would-be thieves think again before stealing cars.
As fast as vehicle technology has evolved, thieves have always tried to keep pace and beat the security systems.
“Relay theft and signal jamming is all too frequent and these measures will give police forces more opportunities to tackle car crime.”
4
