More Car Prowls Around Surber, One With Keyless Entry

The Laurelhurst Blog received this information from several neighbors:

We have had a number of car break ins around Surber Drive NE. Our car has keyless entry and our key fob puts out a signal so you can open the car and push button start it without inserting a key. Unfortunately, our car was opened by someone using a relay which could hack into the signal from the key fob and they were able to enter the car without making a sound. Since that time, we have learned from other neighbors to keep our keys in a special box that blocks the signal. 

There have been many car prowls over the last few months in the area of Surber Deive. Some cars have been entered electronically by hacking into the signal from fobs for keyless cars. Protect your fob by placing it in a pouch or box that has RFID blocking capability. 

Our locked cars that were parked in the vicinity of 42nd Avenue NE were broken into. Another car on our street had its rear window smashed and rifled through. the inside was a mess.

Our car was broken into the alley off of 40th Avenue NE near Talaris.

Our unlocked car was rummaged through several times in one month and nothing was stolen on 55th Avenue NE. We did a test and left left our car unlocked again twice in the last several months and again our car was rummaged through. This tells me that there is someone out there scouting our street every night searching for unlocked cars.

Other car prowls have been reported on NE 33rd Street, NE 41st near the park),  NE 36th Street, 47th Avenue NE and NE 38th, East and West Laurelhurst Drive, NE 33rd Street, NE 38th Street.

Here are SPD's car prowl prevention tips:  

• Don't leave any items in plain view in your vehicle. Even in a secure garage.
• Take all valuables with you when you park.
• Remove or hide anything that a car prowler might mistake as something worth stealing.
• If valuables must be left behind, hide them out of sight several blocks away before parking.
• Disable internal trunk releases per your owner's instruction manual.
• Audible alarms or other theft deterrent devices can be effective.
• When you exit or enter your parked vehicle, stop and take a look around the area.
• Before leaving your parked car, always remove the keys, roll up the windows and lock the car.
• Make a habit of locking your garage door and car doors.
• If possible, store your car in a closed and locked garage.
• If your car is stored in a carport or parked near your house, leave your exterior lights on throughout the night.
• If you park on the street, choose a well-lit, open space even if it means adding additional street/yard lighting & trimming back trees/bushes that block your view of your vehicle.
• If you park your car in a dark or isolated area, consider the City Light Area Lighting Program, which permits additional light fixtures to be placed on existing poles. The cost is less than $5 per month per light. Call (206) 684-3000 for more information.
• Consider replacing the light fixture closest to your car with a motion detector unit. Motion detectors are a good psychological deterrents since the normal assumption of a person seeing a light come on is that someone has seen them. Additionally, the light makes the prowler or thief more visible.

SPD says that if your car is broken into, file a report by calling the non-emergency number at 206-625-5011or online.