November 16, 2006

Getting a handle on vehicle theft

Vehicle thefts in our area have been increasing over the last few years but there is much that the average citizen can do to prevent such thefts, or to help the police recover the vehicle after it is stolen.

Vehicle theft is one of the most vexing of all crimes. From joy rides, to drug deals, to chop shops. A vehicles parts are worth two or three times the value of the vehicle.

Most of the vehicles stolen in the city of Reading are recovered, many with minor damage. But there are too many instances where thefts could have been prevented if the owner had followed some simple tips:

Professional thieves can steal any car.

Attempt to deter them from targeting your car. The National Insurance Crime Bureau recommends “layered protection”. The more layers of protection on your vehicle, the more difficult it is to steal it.

Never leave your vehicle running, even if you will be gone for only a minute. Vehicles are commonly stolen at convenience stores, ATMs and gas stations.

Lock your car and your garage.

LAYER 1—COMMON SENSE

Lock your car—half of all stolen vehicles are left unlocked
Take your keys—20% of stolen vehicles have the keys in them.
Park in well lighted areas
Completely close your car windows
Do not leave valuables in plain view (things in plain view attract thieves)
Do not hide a spare set of keys on the car (thieves can find them easily)
Park with wheels turned toward the curb (makes it harder to tow)
Park in attended lots—thieves don’t like witnesses

LAYER 2—WARNING DEVICES

Audible alarms (be sure it has separate power supply and turns off automatically and resets in four minutes)
Steering wheel locks
Identification markers on vehicle
Steering column locks

LAYER 3—IMMOBILIZING DEVICES

Armored collar for steering wheel (like The Club, etc)
Smart keys
High Security lock and keys
Kill switches (unable to start unless a hidden switch is activated) . Check vehicle warranty.
Fuse cut-offs
Starter, ignition and fuel disablers
Fuel shutoff devices (able to drive only a short distance before car stops)

LAYER 4—TRACKING DEVICES

Emits signals to the police or monitoring station when the vehicle is reported stolen. Tracking devices are very effective in helping authorities recover stolen vehicles. (Like the LOJACK Systems)

Popular Vehicles to be stolen

Of the 1071 vehicles stolen in the city of Reading in 2005, the following were the brands of choice:

Honda 291
Saturn 138
Toyota 120
Acura 53
Nissan 24
Others 445

About 80-85% of the vehicles were recovered, but our arrest rate is low and we need your help.

If your vehicle is stolen, notify police immediately. Speed is essential in recovering stolen vehicles. Be prepared to report the vehicle make and model number, color, license plate number, VIN number (usually seen on the inside drivers side dash).

Keep a photocopy of the vehicle registration and insurance card at home in your wallet or at home (some people scan it and send it to their own email address that can be accessed from anywhere an internet connection is available - helps get the info if you are out of town).

Here is a tip from the Florida Anti-Car Theft Committee: Don't leave your original registration or title in the car. File the title at home in a safe place and carry your registration with you in your purse or wallet. If a thief has these two documents, it is easier to sell it.

Other ideas: write your initials on an index card and drop it in the window slot; or engrave your initials inside the trunk, hood or even the dashboard near the VIN number.

DataDots (generically: microdots) are the world's smallest state of the art identification technology, the size of a grain of sand. They can be applied with the VIN number in large quantities on a vehicle and can be very difficult to remove. For example, see the web site: http://www.datadotdna.com/dtl_technology_idrevo.htm

The city of Reading will be stepping up efforts to control these thefts, and to find the criminals who are stealing vehicles.

The court administrators in the county of Berks have also agreed to increase the penalties for those convicted of stealing vehicles with mandatory detention for juveniles.

To report a vehicle theft, call the Reading Police at 610-655-6116

If you see a theft in progress call 9-1-1 right away.

If you have a tip that can lead to the arrest of a vehicle thief, you can call (anonymously) to
Crime Alert Berks County at 1-877-373-9913

You can order a VIN etching kit for your car, which will help deter thieves, and assist law enforcement officials in recovering the car. The cost is $8.95 and you can order online from the Pennsylvania Auto Theft Prevention Authority at: www.watchyourcar.org

I would also like to compile a list of commercial services in the Greater Reading Area who install auto-theft prevention devices along with your experience with the devices.

If you have any tips on preventing auto theft that have worked for you, or want to provide advice to others so they can protect their vehicles, please add a comment to this blog.

I will try to summarize the suggestions for all to see.

Thanks
Mayor Tom McMahon