Ottawa Police seeing increase in brazen daylight vehicle thefts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, December 2, 2022      9:10 am

(Ottawa) — The Ottawa Police Service is advising residents to be vigilant in light of an emerging trend of daylight-hour vehicle thefts.

“Thieves are getting brazen,” says Staff Sergeant Cathy Brown, head of the OPS Intelligence Unit. “You may have your mind on your seasonal shopping list, but thieves are taking advantage of unattended vehicles in parking lots to steal your car, SUV or truck.”

Police are seeing a surge in Ottawa where vehicles are being stolen from parking lots of grocery stores, recreation and sporting venues and shopping malls during daylight hours.

There has been an undeniable spike in thefts of the following newer model vehicles:

• Honda (specifically CRVs)
• Acura
• Dodge Durango
• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Toyota Highlanders
• Lexus RX
• Ford F-Series trucks

“However, vehicle owners should be aware, any model with a proximity key (push to start ignition) is being targeted,” adds S/Sgt. Brown

This year, 1160 vehicles have been reported stolen. Of them, 173 have been recovered, 71 of them in November.

Owners are encouraged to be vigilant when leaving their vehicle to do shopping. “That means engaging any security system you have purchased for your vehicle. For example, if you have an Engine Control Module (ECM) port lock, make sure it is engaged, if you own a club, attach it to your steering wheel while you shop.”

One way to prevent vehicle theft is to be aware of your surroundings. “Look around when you park, watch for suspicious activity, like people scoping out cars,” says S/Sgt. Brown. “If you see something suspicious, don’t wait to report it, call 911 immediately and/or report it to the store security.”

For your personal safety, S/Sgt. Brown discourages members of the public from engaging with people you think are in the process of stealing a car.

Not sure what an attempt at vehicle theft may look like? Here’s what to watch for: 

1. The driver-side door is mechanically breached to gain access to the car. Once entry is gained thieves access the vehicle’s Engine Control Module (ECM) port to reprogram a new key. This remains the most common type of vehicle theft and it is not deterred using a Radio Frequency Shield (known as a ‘Faraday bag/box’).
2. The Signal Amplification Relay Attack (SARA) is not a common technique in Ottawa -- however police continue to raise public awareness about this method, where thieves use an amplification device to amplify the signal emanating from the key fob inside the house. That signal is then relayed to the car which unlocks the vehicle and allows it to be started. This type of theft will be deterred using a Radio Frequency Shield (the Faraday bag/box.)

 Vehicle owners are encouraged to consider the following prevention measures: 

• Park inside a garage if available (in Ottawa, no vehicle has been stolen from inside a residential garage)
• Install an ECM port lock
• Install an after-market vehicle immobilizer and/or alarm
• Use a steering wheel lock (i.e., “Club”) to deter thieves (keep in mind they can cut the steering wheel to remove it)
• Install after-market tracking devices or “GPS” – many of these have the ability to “fence in your car” notifying the owner’s smart phone if the vehicle leaves the established perimeter (keep in mind many thieves have been disabling the GPS system, removing the vehicle’s antenna, or carrying a portable signal blocker to prevent the vehicle’s location from being detected)
• Install motion detection lights and exterior surveillance cameras at home – these can act as a deterrent and are very reasonably priced now (the same portable signal blocker can also disable these cameras)
• Keep in mind that thieves have returned to steal the replacement vehicle from a previous theft so remain vigilant.
• Neighbourhood Watch is still the best defence – so please report any suspicious activity immediately to police at 613-236-1222. If you can, obtain a vehicle description and licence plate.
• If you are selling your vehicle, be wary not to let anyone have access to your car keys and do not let your vehicle out of your sight. This prevents a thief from copying your key during a “test drive” so they can return to steal it.

When duties permit, patrol officers will be monitoring parking lots.

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Tel: 613-236-1222, ext. 5366