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Smash and Grab Thefts in Boise: How to Protect Your Car’s Contents from Thieves

smash and grab thefts on the rise in Boise

Smash and Grab Thefts in Boise: How to Protect Your Car’s Contents from Thieves

If you’re a car owner in the Boise area, then you need to be aware of the recent spate of vehicle smash and grab property thefts that have been happening in the Treasure Valley. Thieves are smashing car windows and stealing whatever they can get their hands on, from wallets and purses to credit cards and electronics. In some cases, they have even managed to charge thousands of dollars on the victim’s stolen credit cards.

Treasure Valley Parking Areas at Risk

These incidents have occurred in broad daylight at parks and trailheads around town, including Kathryn Albertson Park and inside Optimist Field. We assume these thieves are sitting in these parking areas watching people and scoping out the vehicles beforehand, waiting for no one to be around, then hitting all the cars at once and fleeing the scene.

boise car thefts

OEM Security Systems Not Enough

Unfortunately, we cannot depend on our standard security system to protect the property inside the vehicle because they are smashing the window and not opening any of the trigger points, such as the door. Most OEM standard alarm systems/security systems prevent the vehicle from being stolen and only trigger if an access point is opened, like the car door or trunk. These OEM alarms do not have proximity, shock, or glass break sensors that would go off if the windows were broken. Those sensors might be enough to deter the thieves, especially if they are hitting multiple cars in the same lot. In other cities, we have heard that these thieves will scope out the vehicles in the area and then test them by “accidentally” bumping into them to check to see if they have shock sensors.

Some of our staff are looking into getting better alarm systems to add to their OEM security systems in their vehicles.  Some YouTube videos show people adding sensors to their vehicles and wiring them to their door trigger wire, which would sound their OEM alarm. However, if you are on a trail far away from the parking area, it might be too late unless you have something that notifies you that your alarm is going off. Some of these devices plug into your OBD2 port or USB port, which will send off a message to your phone that an incident is happening, and from there, you can call the police immediately instead of waiting to get back to your car. Even some devices will send back video and record what is happening, such as the new owlcam 5, Raven, Nexar One, and The Knight. All of these come with various monthly charges.

The one we looked at as a simple plug-and-play solution, called “The Knight,” is disguised as a cup holder that securely locks into place and cannot be removed unless disarmed. This device even has a microwave sensor (cuts down on false alarms) that will chirp the alarm if thieves are looking into your window; if they continue, the full alarm goes off, but you will be alerted. The inconspicuous cup holder has a 360-degree camera that records to the cloud, and the alarm sound from this device is really loud. This product does have a monthly fee like the rest of them, but if you preorder it for $199, you get 12 months of monitoring free.

What can you do to protect your car from these thieves?

– Purchase an alarm system with sensors and notifications: Thieves are more likely to target cars that aren’t chirping at them.

– Keep your car locked at all times, even if you’re just going to be gone for a few minutes. A locked car is much less likely to be targeted by thieves.

– Hide your valuables: Don’t leave your wallet or purse in plain sight on the seat or console. Instead, put them in the glove compartment, trunk, or under the seats. Likewise, if you have any expensive electronics or other items in your car, make sure they’re hidden away.

– Be aware of your surroundings: Keep an eye on who is around you and what they’re doing. If something doesn’t seem right, go somewhere else or call the police.

Following these tips can help you protect your car from these smash and grab thieves in Boise. Stay safe, and we hope they are caught soon.

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