This Mystery Black Box Is Making It Extremely Easy for Thieves to Break Into Your Car

Stopping car thieves is becoming much more difficult, as break-in artists go high-tech. CNN reports that thieves around the country have started employing a mysterious handheld device to unlock a vehicle’s doors and disarm any alarm. A recent case involving the “black box” was caught on tape in Chicago. And early last year, police in Southern California asked for the public’s help in trying to apprehend three suspects wanted in connection with a series of auto burglaries. They used “unknown technology” to get into the vehicles without the keys.

The burglars can be seen on the surveillance tape above. Two suspects are seen walking up to various vehicles, while another hangs back. “This is a situation where technology is working against us, making our job much more challenging at a time where resources are already strained,” Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a prepared statement at the time. “Just as law enforcement tactics evolve, so does the criminal element’s—and we need the community’s involvement more so than ever.”

[CNN]