Over 300 cars stolen from Atlanta airport parking lots so far this year

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Police Department has reported an alarming rise in vehicle thefts at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with over 300 cars being stolen from airport parking lots this year. That figure more than tripled what was reported last year.

Officials say thieves have been exploiting a tailgating technique, which involves following closely behind another vehicle when leaving the parking lot in order to slip out undetected once the gate opens. This is the exact method that Jennifer Powell, a Milton, Florida resident who flew from Atlanta to New York for a short trip with her family, says thieves used to steal her car.

When Powell returned from her trip, she discovered her vehicle was missing from the North Economy Lot.

"It was so heartbreaking when we walked out and my car was gone," Powell told FOX 5 Atlanta.

Earlier, FOX 5 Atlanta reports indicated that perpetrators have been able to reprogram new keys for vehicles in merely five to ten minutes, aiding in their swift thefts. Powell was informed by airport staff that this could be how her car was accessed.

Atlanta City Council member Michael J. Bond, who serves on the city's airport and vendor committee, stated that the airport has increased its security personnel.

"They’re full-time police officers working part-time at the airport," Bond explained. "Also, there's ongoing enhancements to the video monitoring system at the airport, which has been helpful, along with some of the license plate readers that are out there."

Nevertheless, Bond admits that there is still a significant challenge in preventing thieves from tailgating drivers out of the lots.

"It's hard because the way that people are exiting, you know, you don't really know that they're doing it until they actually are doing it. So, it's hard to monitor the cars and trying to pick and choose who may be coming out or who may be in a stolen car."

Georgia, Atlanta, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, approach aerial view, parking lot and Highway. (Photo by: Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Powell is skeptical of the improvements, finding it hard to believe that security measures have been significantly enhanced after her experience.

"It just sucks that this happened because we trusted the airport to do their job," she said.

Powell told FOX 5 Atlanta she would likely never fly out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ever again.

We've reached out to officials from the airport and the Atlanta Police Department for comment, and have yet to hear back.