EU legislation made the fitting of an electronic engine
immobiliser (Thatcham Category 2) mandatory on new
cars, manufactured after October 1998 (designed to
prevent an engine from being hotwired). While this
has been widely regarded as effective, evidence suggests
that some criminals are now concentrating on taking
these vehicles by stealing the keys instead.
For vehicles registered after 1997, keys were used
in 85% of car thefts. The most common methods of obtaining
keys were through burglary (37%) and through the owner
leaving the keys in the car
(18%). There is some evidence of an increasing trend
in keys being used to steal cars and, in particular,
for these keys to be obtained by committing a burglary.
In cases where the MO was known, this occurred in 34%
of incidents in the first half of 1998 and had risen
to around 44% in the first half of2001.
There has also been a rise in the proportion of key
thefts during robberies, almost doubling from around
2% to nearly 4% over these three years. Although these
numbers are very small, this could be evidence of a
trend towards more concerted attempts to steal vehicles.
"Car-jacking", where a thief targets a motorist
in their vehicle, is the latest trend in car crime.
A number of high profile cases have taken place, most
notably the stabbing to death of 25 year old man outside
his home by a suspected gang of car-jackers.
Car-jacking attacks are now taking place in such areas
of the country as Salford, Bradford, the West Midlands,
West Yorkshire and London. While car-jacking is a relatively
new phenomena in the UK, it is far from new in other
parts of the World. The first car-jacking case is reported
to have taken place in South Africa in the mid-1970s
In fact, it has become such a worry in Bradford, with
five reported car-jacking's and four attempts in January
alone, that the police in West Yorkshire have set up
a special squad to deal with it. Many police forces
have set up monthly meetings to gain intelligence on
the gangs involved.
A common tactic used by car-jacking gangs is to bump
into the targeted vehicle and ambush hem when the driver
approaches to exchange personal details. A recent example
was the case involving a 41 year old mother of three,
who was knocked unconscious by a gang of thieves who
stole her vehicle in South London.
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