SAVANNAH, GA (April 16, 2013): Central Precinct officers of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department have been investigating multiple complaints of garage door openers suddenly failing to work, but have found no cause for alarm.
Multiple residents of the Ardsley Park area communicated on a neighborhood website that their openers suddenly failed to work at the same time Thursday. Some suggested that potential thieves had attempted to hack the frequency of the remote openers to access garages and changed the frequency.
Central officers who monitor the website noted the discussion and some residents actually called with concerns. But responding officers have found no garages where entry was gained or anything disturbed or taken.
Capt. DeVonn Adams, commander of the precinct, theorized that a frequency interruption or disruption may have caused the problems, but he has ordered his officers to be watchful of garages.
“As I understand it, the type of device described on the website that could hack into the frequencies would be extremely expensive and would have to be close to the garage door to work,” he said. “It would not work if someone simply drove down the street hoping to pick up frequencies.
“But, innovations seem to arise constantly and we are not discounting the concern that residents have. We will continue to patrol and focus on garages.”
Police have been told that most garage door openers work on the same radio frequency and it can be affected by a new tower going on line. The problem seemed to affect more devices produced before 2008. Adams suggested that those who experienced the phenomenon contact their garage door company to have the units adjusted.
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