The Halton Regional Police Service is investigating a number of recent vehicle thefts in the Town of Oakville. In the past three consecutive nights, car thieves have stolen six high-end SUV's from residential driveways.
The targeted vehicles were removed from residential driveways between the hours of 11:00 pm and 5:00 am.
The majority of the thefts are committed utilizing a relay device. These vehicles have no tracking capability from the manufacturer or dealership, making recovery difficult once the vehicle is stolen.
Evidence suggests the suspects are approaching the residences on foot, and then utilizing a device to defeat the vehicle's security systems. It appears that the technology used may be accessing the signal transmitted by the vehicle's key fobs. Once inside the vehicle, the suspects are able to start the vehicle and drive away within minutes of their arrival at the residence.
The SUV's targeted by these suspects include:
- 2017 to 2019 Lexus RX350
- 2018 to 2019 Lexus GX460
- 2019 Toyota 4Runner
We encourage you to implement the following vehicle theft prevention measures:
- Park your vehicle within a locked/secure garage as the majority of the vehicles are stolen from residential driveways
- If a garage is not accessible, park another vehicle behind it in the driveway to act as a physical barrier to its removal
- Lock the data port in your vehicle using a simple device that can be purchased online which blocks access through which thieves are able to reprogram the vehicle's keys
- Invest in an aftermarket global positioning system (GPS) tracker or have one installed by the dealer, as it may assist in recovery of the vehicle if it is stolen
- Ensure your unattended vehicle(s) are locked and secure
- Never leave spare keys in your vehicle
- Never leave spare keys outside of your residence
- When not in use, place vehicle keys inside a radio frequency shielding bag/pouch to block cell signals
- Equip your vehicle with an anti-theft alarm
- Use other devices to deter thefts (e.g. steering wheel locking device)
- Consider purchasing a quality video surveillance system for your residence and ensure your cameras are properly placed and functioning for 24-hour use.
Community safety is a shared responsibility. Help keep communities safe and immediately report any suspicious activity.
Anyone with questions or information about the SUV's thefts is asked to contact Det. Omar Nadim at the 2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905 825-4747 ext. 2278.
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers "See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers" at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.