Kent Police - Operation Castle

Just reported on Breakfast TV.

Operation Castle is a three month operation targeting vehicle thieves.

Apparently a number of Land Rover models have been stolen in the county.

Just seen on the BBC local news that Kent Police have been sending out warning letters to Landrover owners. I suspect Defender, Discovery & Sport predominantly.

Huge demand abroad, criminals are taking advantage of stolen to order

I suffered a break in at my house 2 years ago, thieves took nothing and the suspicion was they were looking to the keys to my FFRR that was parked outside on the drive. The keys weren't there, they never are when I am away. Also my neighbours are mostly elderly and some are noctural - the lady next door watched somebody come for a return visit and phoned the police at 0330! The caught a couple of eastern Europeans in a white van that exactly matched the description and number plate she passed on to them. In her working days she worked for the police!

(06-02-2013 12:26pm)XFullFatTim Wrote:  I suffered a break in at my house 2 years ago, thieves took nothing and the suspicion was they were looking to the keys to my FFRR that was parked outside on the drive. The keys weren't there, they never are when I am away. Also my neighbours are mostly elderly and some are noctural - the lady next door watched somebody come for a return visit and phoned the police at 0330! The caught a couple of eastern Europeans in a white van that exactly matched the description and number plate she passed on to them. In her working days she worked for the police!

This will only get worse from 1 January 2014 (See Article regarding Germany on the Dailymail website)

Day or night I keep the keys upstairs, there is to many cases where keys are taken of the kitchen worktop.

Its a growing concern especially amongst defender owners, who have been the target of thieves.

My car is always closed in the garage, keys in the house but downstairs,
i'd rather have my car stolen than someone next to my bed.
If he is closed and in the garage the insurance will cover it!
I live 10 minutes from the french border and in our region there is a immense
amount of homejackings, specially for Audi's RS.
Here people are actually selling there Audi's because they are afraid!

Can't they work like normal people to buy a car?

Got a Tracker Locate in my X3, getting one in my Evoque.

Whilst its almost impossible these days to stop one of the determined scrotes getting your car, once its gone, I want the chance to get it back, especially as these days, the insurance companies are trying every trick in the book to avoid paying out for theft.

I know someone who had their BMW stolen from their drive, believed to be due to the key cloning 'bug' ... Even though he still had both keys and could prove this to the ins. Company, and that the Police knew about this issue with certain models of BMW, they still reckoned he left his car open and/or left a key available. He didn't have a tracker.

Think they paid out some money after he threatened them with court, and was going to provide an expert witness.....

(06-02-2013 04:12pm)J77 Wrote:  Day or night I keep the keys upstairs, there is to many cases where keys are taken of the kitchen worktop.

Its a growing concern especially amongst defender owners, who have been the target of thieves.

Would you rather they took your car and left you to sleep or came upstairs looking for the keys. Having had a 3am visit for my RRSport keys I know I would rather they took the car and left my family safe. In my case they opened what I thought to be secure Anglian double glazed French doors by breaking the euro lock, took the keys and car and closed the door on the way out. Didn't touch another thing despite us being 5000 mile away at the time. The police said though that they probably thought we were asleep upstairs as it would have made no difference. I live in Kent! The car was found in Barking parked and waiting to see if the Tracker led police to it which it did. Having said that I would not put a Tracker on any other car as my RRS was two months under three year old with a GAP insurance that would have paid out had it not been found. The car had only done 10000 mile at the time and was in pristine condition though it was never the same when returned. Had a little panic at the time as we had bought a lifetime Tracker when new from Guy Salmon Mayfair but Guy Salmon it seemed never paid Tracker my subscription so Tracker wouldn't turn the Tracker on until I could get paperwork proof that I had paid Guy Salmon the subscription. Panic as the insurance was based on having a paid up Tracker subscription so it was looking like I could have lost the car which wasn't insured!!!!!!!

I have also recently found that tracker subscriptions do not transfer to the next owner - I traded in the FFRR with a lifetime subscription paid - the new owner wanted to keep it up but has to pay a 2nd lifetime fee - it isn't a requirement of insurance where I live but as I buy and sell my cars in London mostly where it is a requirement on high value cars then I have one fitted. My FFRR had one as a condition of the dealer's insurance as it had been a demo car, I elected not to have it enabled but after the midnight visit it only took a phone call to the tracker company to get it re-enabled and tracked.