Here is the OWL message :
Dear Watch Member,
In 2020 a vehicle was stolen every 7 minutes in the UK and the theft of keyless vehicles continues to be a major problem, with keyless theft consistently topping 90% as the means by which cars are stolen (Tracker Network UK).
Hillingdon Neighbourhood Watch (HNW) has been looking at industry innovations to identify approved products that can combat this type of crime.
Secured By Design is the Police Preferred Specification which provides a recognised standard for all security products that can deter and reduce crime, and so we are pleased to note a new product which has just been officially Police Approved.
The product has been created by a UK company Hard-Off Security Ltd. It has a one-off cost and consists of a device which physically fits inside the battery compartment of your key fob (and the other inside the spare fob), and is very easy to install.
The device detects movement of the fob, and if the fob has not moved for 20 seconds, it cuts the power to the fob completely – turning it hard off – thereby making “Relay Theft” impossible. The fob is only activated again when movement is detected, for example when you pick it up to use your vehicle.
As HNW originally suggested obtaining Police Approval for this product, the manufacturer is offering Hillingdon residents a discount of 25% for a limited number of units until 31st July 2021 – the coupon code 25launch is limited to one purchase per household, and the delivery address must be to a Hillingdon postcode.
You can access their website here: Hard-Off Security Website
As I suspected. There's a reference to "Police approved" meaning "it's listed by SBD" but then the trail becomes a bit murky. How did it get Police approval? Yes, the product is listed on the SBD website but that's a bit lacking in hard facts. The only reference to accreditation is to a Dutch authority (KIWA), and even then the standard applied looks to be some kind of weatherproofing rather than whether the product actually works. When you look at the KIWA website there's no trace of the HardOff Security product (but there are three other products that seem to work in a similar way if you really want something like this). Contrast that with the SBD listing for another better-known company (just for the sake of argument look at the entry for DiskLok) which lists their Thatcham approvals. The absence of any sort of verifiable accreditation claim on the HardOff website is telling.
Caveat emptor.