With scores of recent auto thefts linked to cracking open security-weak lockboxes, Honolulu police are urging motorists to opt for another device or method for stashing keys and valuables.
Since April, police have counted 113 vehicle thefts on Oahu involving lockbox devices, Honolulu CrimeStoppers Coordinator Sgt. Kim Buffett said Tuesday.
Lockboxes, which resemble large padlocks, are typically attached to a car frame or door handle. The device houses a small box with a combination lock.
Buffet said police started keeping track of lockbox-related auto thefts six months ago. In many cases, she said, thieves use bolt cutters to cut off the boxes and then take them to a secluded area to smash them open. Once they have the hidden key, they simply return to the vehicle and drive away.
“It’s not a safety tool,” Buffet said. “It’s just a simple box that is easily cut off and broken. If you are able to take a single key and maybe just tie it on your shorts, save yourself the grief of getting your car stolen.”
Richard Berrios Sr. of Affordable Locksmith & Sons on South Beretania Street called the lockboxes terrible security devices.
“It’s a red flag for anybody looking to rob a car,” he said, adding that it wouldn’t be difficult for someone with the right tools and know-how to access a lockbox.
He noted that some rental car companies issue lockboxes to customers as an extra feature.
He suggested that beachgoers leave their keys with a buddy or, if they are alone, carry a mechanical key, which is a duplicate key without any electronics in it.
Michelle Yu, Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman, said in an email that lockboxes can be helpful, but residents should be wary when using them.
“We’ve had instances where thieves have watched cars and observed drivers hide their keys,” she said. “People who use the devices should be aware of their surroundings.”
Matt Jones, a personal trainer who works in Kakaako, said for the past five months he’s been stashing vehicle and house keys in a lockbox on the back of his Nissan pickup.
He bought the lockbox because his pickup has an electronic key remote that he doesn’t want to get wet when he surfs. “They’re supereasy,” he said. “I love it.”
After hearing about the auto thefts tied to lockboxes, however, Jones said he would to reconsider how he uses the lockbox.
