Theft and Use of Garage Door Openers

For Immediate Release: April 15, 2021
Contact: Cory Call, Captain, Foster City Police Department, 650-286-3300

In the last week, the Foster City community has experienced an increase in thefts from unlocked vehicles. Most of these thefts occurred overnight while the victim vehicles were parked outside a residence.

In several cases, garage door openers were located by the suspect(s) in the unlocked vehicles. The suspect(s) used the garage door openers to open and enter the victims’ garages where additional property was stolen. There were no reports of the suspect(s) entering the residential living spaces through an interior garage door; however, the potential for this scenario to occur once access to an attached garage is gained remains a significant concern of our agency.

The Foster City Police Department is urging residents to lock their vehicles whenever parked and unattended, especially overnight. While there are no guarantees that a locked vehicle will not be broken into, a locked vehicle is less likely to be targeted when compared to an unlocked vehicle. In addition to locking a vehicle, garage door openers provide access to a residence and should be removed from a vehicle while parked outside.

Foster City Police Detectives are currently working several leads. Anyone with information related to these thefts or anyone interested in additional crime prevention information is encouraged to call the Foster City Police Department at 650-286-3300 or use our Tip Line 286-3323.

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