Prince George's Car Thefts Double Over Four Years

County's Problem Drives Anti-Crime Package in Assembly

To understand the gravity of Prince George's County's vehicle theft problem, it helps to look at the statistics: The county, which has about 15 percent of Maryland's population, now accounts for nearly half the state's auto thefts.

That's a distinction that even Baltimore, the reigning king of auto theft in the state for most of the 1980s and early 1990s, never came close to achieving.

The number of vehicles stolen in Prince George's has more than doubled since 1999, a period when vehicle theft declined or leveled off in every other major Maryland jurisdiction.

Fifty cars are stolen every day in the county, and with nearly 18,000 car thefts reported in 2003 -- the most recent year for which figures are available -- each household in the county stands a one in 17 chance of being a victim.

But it's the anecdotes that hammer the point home.

Maureen Evans of Cheverly lost her family minivan to thieves twice in the course of a year. A year later, thieves nearly took her Honda Civic. Another man had two cars stolen -- on the same day. Thieves even took the car of the county's top prosecutor, State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey (D), from in front of his home.

Across the county, in areas rich and poor, cars are vanishing at an alarming rate. And though the 2004 figures are preliminary, a spokesman for Ivey said they probably will be a bit higher than 2003's. "We're hoping we're seeing a peaking, a leveling out," said spokesman Ramon Korionoff.

Del. Pauline H. Menes (D-Prince George's) said, "We seem to be attracting all of the car thefts from this part of the world."

Menes, along with other members of the Prince George's delegation to the General Assembly, is pushing a legislative package this year aimed at curbing the epidemic.

One bill would permit car-theft victims to submit written testimony in lieu of appearing in court. Law enforcement officials said the measure is necessary because owners of stolen cars are often asked to appear in court several times for a single theft, especially if more than one culprit is involved. Many give up, thus scuttling the prosecution, police and prosecutors said.

"The way we lose a lot of cases is victim exhaustion," Ivey said. "People just get worn down from having to appear in court, or they can't afford to miss the work."

The bill, set for a hearing Tuesday in the House Judiciary Committee, is likely to encounter opposition from defense lawyers, who have said it violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee that the accused can confront accusers in court.

Another bill would require automotive insurers to contribute a dollar for every car insured to a state fund devoted to combating vehicle theft. Insurers said that although they support the concept, they are concerned about the logistics.

A third measure would require any business that makes a copy of a car key to verify the car owner's identity and keep a record of the verification for two years.