NCJ Number
125227
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 38 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1990) Pages: 65-69
Date Published
1990
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This paper lists 15 strategies police are employing to curtail rising auto theft levels.
Abstract
Auto theft can be diminished by establishment of an auto theft task force which uses informants to track down members of local gangs involved in car stealing, to check salvage yards, sting operations, fraudulent claims, auto theft training, and national auto theft bureaus, and to coordinate efforts across jurisdictional lines. In addition the public can minimize the chances for theft by following certain guidelines such as locking the ignition and removing the keys; starting anti-car theft campaigns, and using tracking computers with small transmitters hidden in the car to locate stolen cars. Other prevention programs include the Combat Auto Theft (CAT) program, which places a decal on a car to alert police to stop the car if it is out in the early morning hours; and the Minnesota "Help Eliminate Auto Theft" (HEAT) program which offers monetary rewards for information leading to the arrest and trial of suspect theft ring members. Automotive manufacturers and insurance companies might be encouraged to add theft preventive measures to their production and policies, but most important is the civic responsibility of car owners regarding their personal property and its visibility through a car window.