House-and-car robberies, which became a phenomenon two years ago, are now running at the rate of eight per night with higher rates recorded at weekends. This is a fivefold increase over the figures recorded in 2004.
According to gardai at the stolen car unit in Dublin’s Harcourt Square, about 400 cars were robbed following house break-ins in 2004, but trends suggest 2,500 double-whammy thefts are likely this year.
The gardai are now warning homeowners of the increased threat amid fears that thieves could use violence in cases where they are unable to find car keys in houses.
Finbarr Garland, a detective, said: “The numbers are increasing dramatically and we are now getting twice as many reports as we did last year. The thefts are serious because they involve breaking and entering and in many cases the cars are targeted, with the thieves working to a shopping list for particular criminal gangs.
“We have had only a small number of reports of confrontations where people have been told to hand over the keys. In most cases the thieves run a mile if they disturb the home owner. But we are concerned about the increase and its possible consequences.”
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According to Garland, improved immobiliser systems have made it difficult to steal new cars without keys, leading to more house break-ins. Up until recently gardai have advised car-owners to hide their keys, but Garland said this may no longer be the best advice.
“What we are saying now is that hiding keys is one option people have and probably the best one. That said, we have to admit that it could lead to a confrontation with a thief who is determined to get the car he needs.
“People are telling us they would prefer to leave their keys out, so that if someone manages to break into their homes they won’t come upstairs looking for them. We obviously understand why people might want to do this and so our advice is to secure their house as much as possible,” he said.
German makes, including Audi, BMW and Mercedes models, are being targeted. Thieves also aim for all brands of 4x4s and other luxury models such as Lexus and Jaguar.
In most cases the cars are being taken by young thieves who then sell them on to gangs for between €1,500 to €3,000. Up to 70% of vehicles taken are recovered but the rest are either resold in Ireland or shipped to destinations ranging from Britain, Africa and the Far East.
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In some instances the thieves change their identity using false plates but in others the cars are sold in Ireland for cash. When they are recovered it is the new buyer’s loss.
The increase in such thefts has encouraged some car-owners to invest in high-security satellite tracking devices. Some of these allow an owner to immobilise their car remotely.
“They are expensive, but when you are spending a large amount in the first place they make sense,” said Garland. “A number of cars have been recovered thanks to satellite tracking. There is a 100% recovery rate on cars that have these.”
The detective said that thieves who steal keys can access a house extremely quickly and generally ignore other valuables during any raid.
More than 12,000 cars are stolen in Ireland each year, but the majority are older models that are easily accessed. In cases involving house break-ins the thieves are usually targeting cars that are less than three years old. So-called car-jacks, where thieves force people out of their cars, are extremely rare, say gardai.
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Conor Faughnan of the AA says car owners should be alert to the new problem, and not put themselves in danger.
“People should take all the precautions they can, such as securing their homes and, if they can afford it, fit tracking devices in their cars,” he said. “But they should be slow to take these guys on. In many cases where these guys don’t find the keys they just leave, but that is not a rule and people should remember that their car is just a chunk of metal that can be replaced.”