Car 'break-ins' - near Goose Green Playground

[missyelliott]

Hello, we live near Goose Green playground and park our car on Adys Road. Over the last few months we've woken up to find that thieves have gained access to the car without breaking any windows or doors. The car is 10 years old so is not true keyless entry. There is a lock button on the key fob and we are wondering if this could have been cloned somehow. We never leave valuables in the car but is it annoying to find people have rifled through the car contents - especially in these COVID times. This time they actually left one of their gloves behind! Has anyone else experienced these soft break-ins please? Also for others do be careful what you leave in your car.

[Fitzgeraldo]

My elderly car broken into about a week ago on Ondine Road. Contents of glove box, spare bulbs, car manuals, etc. strewn all over the floor. Nothing of value taken as nothing of value left in the car. However interestingly, although I was sure that I had locked it, there were no signs of forced entry.

With elderly vehicles of little value, it may be best to ensure cars are empty of anything of value and then to leave unlocked as cost of repairs to damaged access points may be expensive. However this may not be such a good idea in the light of the lack of public toilets in the area

[TreacleRabbit]

I had this a few months ago, my car is key less entry so I assumed they had bounced the signal from the key inside the house. Strange they opened the glove box, had strewn things over the seat. Nothing of worth there or on display, nothing broken.

[Peckham Park]

They?re a regular occurrence. The only way to stop it is put your car key in a metal box. Our car was constantly opened on kelmore grove until I started putting the key in one

[Duc748]

This happened to me over Xmas/New Years on Henslowe Road. No signs of forced entry into my 10+ year old car but glove box contents had been removed (tomtom) and CD's stolen. Who steals CD's in 2021?

[SpringTime]

Thieves clock "keyless" car keys with their own devices and then look for the cars. You should keep your own key inside a box and preferably in a landlocked part of your property to help prevent this. Seems like another hoop for protecting your stuff but it's also quite a good way to avoid losing your own key!

[OLori]

Hello, firstly, sorry that this happened to you. It's actually quite traumatic once the shock subsides and you realise the full extent of what has happened. I use to live on Adys Road about a year ago and my car wheels were stolen and then literally a week before, a neighbour half way down also nearly had his car stolen. Having spoken to the Police, they said that ED was a hot target area, because people assume that because it's an affluent area, cars could never be burgled. They never caught the person, but they did find some chewing gum just outside the car, which had a positive match of a criminal, however, because the chewing gum was left outside the car, they couldn't tie it to the person. In the end, I resorted to buying a Viper security alarm system with electronic remote, which informs me if anyone is trying to jack the car up, open the windows or even move the car. I haven't slept better since, however, I'm still on my guard, because when thieves want your car, they'll go all out.. Good luck though, as I think Adys Road in particular is a hot spot.

[KidKruger]

I'd be very surprised if the police took the time too DNA test chewing gum from the road, knowing full-well that if they find a positive match to a known criminal they cannot prosecute because no crime has been committed.

Or were you saying the 'positive match' was a comparison to another piece of chewing gum ?

[OLori]

Don't be surprised, that's exactly what happened and yes the Police did check, after much added pressure from a sister who is a Forensic Scientist who knew exactly what to enquire and test. Due to the law, unless the DNA was inside the car, and it wasn't possible to pursue. It had to be 100% correct that the chewing wasn't coincidentally there, which is unfortunate.

[doniyasoni]

Same thing happened to me a few weeks ago (and also the second time it's happened in the last year!) I live on Adys Road as well. The only thing taken from my car was chewing gum but other than that, it had just been rifled through. I kept blaming myself, thinking I was being forgetful and not locking the door properly but I'm relieved to see (in a way - wish this wasn't happening!) this is a wider issue.

[mima08]

This appears to have happened to us on Nutbrook Street but with a twist:

walked past the car and noticed the driver's door not properly closed. No sign of forced entry and only small things missing (a windscreen cloth, a small torch, didn't take booster seat or cassettes, lol).

The twist is: our car does NOT have a remote key - lock broke some time ago, so now you have to open it the old fashioned way with an actual key...Why bother for a car that could do with a serious tidy and is over 20years old?

Not sure it's worth reporting?

[Fitzgeraldo]

My car had catalytic converter stolen last friday (see entry under another heading). Called police who opened case and then had email to inform me 'Case closed' the next day.Tried to contact local police but they apparently don't exist. Surely someone within local law enforcement must be able to clamp down on this epidemic of petty car crime.

Cost of replacing converter just more than excess on insurance so not worth claiming. Consequently me much out of pocket and considerably inconvenienced.

[ianr]

> Surely someone within local law

> enforcement must be able to clamp down

> on this epidemic of petty car crime.

PC George Dixon will probably have a good idea who's done it. He'll be round their gaff later for a little chat and nose around, notice a small stash of converters in the backyard, and have the scrote safely locked up in Dock Green nick.