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Car Theft/Prowls–The
Problem
Car
thefts remain a big problem in A
thief can take as little as 1 to 3 minutes to break into a car, start it
and then drive off. For a thief who sees something of interest
like your cell phone, purse, mail or package, it takes even less time.
At the beginning of the 2003 Christmas season, the Crime Prevention
Alliance of Snohomish County demonstrated how easily, quickly and
quietly a thief can break into a car. If you
become a victim of a car prowl, you face bearing the replacement cost
for anything that is stolen. Generally, the contents of your car are not
covered, including CD’s, jewelry, and special stereo systems and
speakers. And, deductibles are commonly $250 or $500 for covered items. If
your car is stolen you may not be the only victim. After all, the thief
has no vested interest in your car. Most stolen vehicles are driven by
people who have outstanding warrants, suspended licenses or are driving
under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Law enforcement estimates that
up to 80 to 90% of vehicle thefts are drug related. The
driver of a stolen car is frequently nervous and inattentive. He may
have just committed a crime or is about to commit another crime, leading
to the danger of crashing into innocent victims. Frequently, police car
chases involve thieves driving stolen cars. A
common scenario includes a theft ring of about 15 people who rent
an inexpensive motel room. They deal and/or use drugs at the hotel. They
plan some sort of criminal activity such as stealing mail. Then they
steal one or more cars and then steal the mail, divide stolen checks
amongst themselves, alter them, then cash them. They buy some
drugs with the cash. Then they start all over again. Other
reasons cars are stolen include joyriding, transportation to get from A
to B, sell the vehicle, sell it’s parts, keep the vehicle (changing the
color, plates, etc.).
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