Enterprising thieves taking garage door openers

[Hot Mustard]

Enterprising thieves taking garage door openers

Police in Winnipeg are warning homeowners to take their garage door openers with them when they leave their cars, or risk giving thieves an easy way into their homes.

Police say there have been a number of incidents lately in which thieves have broken into cars and stolen automatic garage door openers as well as registration certificates for the vehicles.

The thieves read the driver's home addresses from the certificates, then go there and use the garage door openers to break in.

When garages are attached to homes and the inside doors are unlocked, the thieves can often just walk into the house and take what they want. They load stolen goods into their vehicles in the closed garage, away from the watch of neighbours or passersby.

Police recommend that people either keep their garage door opener with them at all times or make sure there are no documents in the car that reveal their address.

Has anyone heard of this tactic before? (It is new to me.)

If not, could you fall victim to this strategy? (Doesn't apply to me, but I believe some of my friends and family could.)

[Dis]

It seems pretty easy.

But considering how stupid (and lazy) most thieves are, I'm surprised they thought of this.

[Dis]

Re: Enterprising thieves taking garage door openers

Originally posted by dejon
Enterprising thieves taking garage door openers


Has anyone heard of this tactic before? (It is new to me.)

If not, could you fall victim to this strategy? (Doesn't apply to me, but I believe some of my friends and family could.)

[apathetic disgruntled mode]

bah, rich people who can afford automatic garages can afford to have their stuff stolen. And they have insurance.

some of use can't afford garages.

[/apathetic disgruntled mode]

I almost feel like Albert Speer sometimes when I talk like that. What can I say. Some people have more money than they need.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Dissident
It seems pretty easy.

But considering how stupid (and lazy) most thieves are, I'm surprised they thought of this.

It is pretty easy and heck even if your door from the Garage is locked, they can get through the drywall pretty easily. Thats why we have an alarm system. A true pro can defeat that as well but the key is to make it as hard as possible for them.

[St Leo]

The inside door is always locked at my place.

[BeBMan]

Most people in the citiy here haven't an own garage.

[Japher]

I've heard of this before...

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Japher
I've heard of this before...

Definitely not a new idea-- its been around for a while

St Leo-- even locking the door into the house won't slow them much. Most attached garages have drywall between them and the main house and once the burglar is in your garage, its pretty easy to ram something through the drywall without attracting any attention-- plus . . . many people have a powertool or saw right there in the garage--

[Flubber]

Originally posted by BeBro
Most people in the citiy here haven't an own garage.

Probably more common in the colder climates-- I know that attached garages are very very common in Calgary Alberta-- might have something to do with that minus 40 weather, general affluence and a culture that favors car ownership

[Pekka]

In here it's even easier. You can just call and ask who the owner of vehicle with registeration number xxx-xxx is and that's it. With that info you can get their address. MAXIMUM two phone calls, or legal and won't raise suspicion. So if you see a nice car, you don't have to stalk and or follow it. Just call and get their address and go in there later on.