Portland car thefts down, but thieves have new tool

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Titan Crawford, the founder of PDX Stolen Cars, said he can tell the number of stolen cars in the area is decreasing.

"It used to be you'd go out, you'd expect to find, like, 'How many am I going to find today?'" he told KOIN 6 News on Sunday. "Now, when you do these missions, it's like, OK, I really have to pay attention and be focused. I want to make sure I at least find one."

On Sunday, the Portland police and other agencies held another stolen car mission that, over time using different techniques and methods, has helped to slash the number of stolen cars in the region.

While the number of thefts is going down, the methods car thieves use are changing with the technology. Crawford said criminals now use what's called an amplifying device that copies data from car fobs.

If a fob is within a few hundred feet from the thieves, the amplifier can grab the signal -- even if your key is in the gym, the grocery store or at home.

"Your keys are sitting on your nightstand, and they're out there in your driveway with, you know, this device that they've put together that can grab the signal from inside your house and put it out near your car," he said.

This popular East Coast method "just started happening out here on the West Coast and in Portland," he said.

There are relatively easy ways to prevent your fob from being copied: keep your fob inside a metal box, aluminum foil or what's called a Faraday bag.

A Faraday bad "is a physical bag. And it's got shielding in it to help protect from electronic signals going in or out of it."

There are no details yet on the success of the Sunday night stolen car mission.

KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.