FishingCarTheft2

There is a marked increase in 'fishing' burglaries. The term ‘fishing’ describes the action of putting a rod and hook or arm and stick through the letter plate in order to steal something within reach. This technique normally leads to the theft of the house and car keys left on a hall table. With the keys they will let themselves into the house and steal from it, or steal the car - or do both. This problem has only started to occur in any great numbers after the security of motor vehicles has significantly improved. With immobilisers being fitted as standard and with many people installing vehicle tracking devices to their cars, the car thief was forced to steal the keys before they steal the car.

Prevention:
The simplest way to prevent this crime is put the keys in a drawer or cupboard and never leave them on view through a window or door or close to the door's letter plate.

Otherwise there are the following options:

1) Letter plate deflectors
A letter plate deflector (or cowling or hood) can be fixed to the back of the door around the letter plate to prevent arms, sticks and fishing rods being poked through. You don’t often find letter plate deflectors in the DIY stores, but you can get them from locksmiths and from some websites.

2) Letter plate (letter flap) locks
The next step up from this is to fit a letter plate lock. This is a hood that fits directly over the top of the inside of the existing letter plate. It has an inner flap, which you can lock at night that will prevent anything from being pushed through - although you have to remember to lock and unlock it.

3) External letter box

If it’s practical, you can block up the letter plate and instead have your mail delivered into a secure letter box fixed to the wall next to the entrance door. This is something you can do now with an existing door or, if you’re going to replace your entrance door, do it then and ask the door supplier for a door without a letter plate. Do make sure that your letterbox complies with “BS EN 13724: 2002 Postal services. Apertures of private letter boxes and letter plates. Requirements and test methods”

If your door has multipoint locking then you must remember to engage the locks at night and turn the key in the cylinder. If locking the door with a key at night, you should keep the key close to the door in case you need it in an emergency.

By Anthony Lewis

Fishing for car keys - car theft

Cont..

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