Atlanta Police chief sounds warning on thieves entering cars

ATLANTA - Atlanta's top cop used a criminal's confession to make a point about how easily some vehicles can be broken into even after they have been locked. 

Chief Rodney Bryant, in a conference call with the mayor, said one of the factors driving an increase in car crimes is the technology that's a part of late model vehicles.

Those cars come with what's known as key fobs. They can be inserted into the ignition housing for an easy start. In some cases, even when a motorist does not use that feature, they may leave those fobs in the glove box. 

But that can be enough to enable a thief to unlock the doors. 

"We even had one guy admit that all he does is tug on the door handles to see which  cars will open," Bryant said. 

The interim chief says the thief's confession points out that motorists need to take the fob with them if they are parking their vehicles. 

And some thieves have even been shown on home surveillance cameras tugging on door handles in driveways and car ports. 

"We have to tell our citizens they have to do more to secure their vehicles," Bryant said. 

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