Edmonton police are warning owners of a certain SUV that their vehicle may be a popular target for theft.
While nearly 50 Lexus RX 350 SUVs have been reported stolen across Alberta this year, six of those thefts happened in Edmonton in one 24-hour period this week, according to Edmonton police.
There was one more theft outside of that 24-hour period, making it seven stolen SUVs in the past week.
“There’s always a concern when there’s a significant increase in the thefts of vehicles and we’re working diligently to get to the bottom of why this is happening,” said Sgt. Dan Tames.
Outside of the half a dozen stolen recently, 13 SUVs of the same model have been reported stolen in Edmonton so far this year, police said.
“Most are 2019 to 2022 model years, but a few 2016 to 2017 model years have also been targeted,” police said.
Param Aulakh owns a Lexus and said he takes precautions to prevent his vehicle from being stolen.
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“I’ve seen the videos of it happening in the Ontario region, but I’m not worried because I park my car in my garage,” Aulakh said. “But it’s something that needs to be looked at. It’s very concerning.”
While vehicles are being released with new technology, Aulakh said he would also like to see companies put in more security and crime prevention features, as police confirm in many cases the thieves disable the factory GPS tracking system after stealing the vehicle.
Michael Bauman, owner of Mike the Mechanic, explained how some thieves use signal boosters to aid in stealing vehicles by pinging a signal to the victim’s key fob.
“These guys are smart — instead of copying physical keys they’re copying computer chips and duplicating them that way,” he said.
“Inside the key, there are microchips sending out signals, and they’re picking up that signal and getting that code from the key and with that, they are duplicating the key and that’s how they’re getting into the vehicle.”
Bauman said leaving the keys inside the vehicle in the garage makes it easier for the thieves to steal.
“Bring your keys inside for sure, keep them a safe distance away from the front of the house,” Bauman said.
“The further away they are the less signal is going to be sent out to the front of the house and that’s likely where they’re going to be trying to pick up that signal from the key.”
Police shared additional tips so owners of Lexus RX350 SUVs can avoid being victims of theft.
- Park vehicles in a secure place, such as a garage or well-lit and busy area.
- Remove all valuables from the vehicle.
- Use a steering-wheel lock or after-market GPS device.
Police encourage anyone with information about this series of thefts to contact police at 780-423-4567 or submit anonymous tips on Crime Stoppers.
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