Car Thefts: Tips for Prevention

Lon Anderson of AAA Mid-Atlantic was online Thursday, May 5, at 2:30 p.m. ET to answer your questions about car thefts and to discuss tips for prevention.

Recent Post Coverage:

Prince George's Car Thieves Also Steal Sense of Control (Post, May 5)

An 'Epidemic' Spurs Search for Remedies (Post, May 5)

'Something Has To Be Done' (Post, May 5)

Tips for Keeping Your Vehicle Safe (Post, May 5)

The transcript follows.

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Lon Anderson: Good afternoon everyone and thanks for joining me. I'm Lon Anderson with AAA Mid-Atlantic, and we are very concerned about the rise in auto theft in our region. Let's face it--we take our cars very personally in America, and they are the second most expensive purchase we are likely to make, after buying a home. So, the loss of a car is very personal, expensive, emotional and inconvenient to the max. In fact, one of my staff is working on the car theft task force in Prince Georges. He also was mentioned in today's Post story because his car was stolen last fall, so auto thefts have hit close to home here in my office. So, let's get started and see how I can help you...

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State of Dismay: As a car theft victim, I was please when the police found my car. However I was very dismayed to find out that while the police had recovered my Impala, they held out no hope of ever catching the thieves, even though they saw the thieves running away. If the police don't believe they can catch the criminals (And I don't care if they are "just joyriding", they are criminals), the criminals will keep on stealing.

Are there any steps which citizens can take to increase the chances of the police catching these criminals? Also do car alarms/killswitchs/Lojacks work?

Lon Anderson: Hello State of Dismay--good questions--and you have a lot of reason for dismay. Auto theft is so prevalent, that if it were a legitimate business, it would rank about 50th on the Fortune 500. It's the second most profitable criminal activity behind drug dealing. And police do need to do more to lock up the perps, but it's not easy, and especially since 9-11 we have police, in many cases, stretched very thin. Police, therefore have focused on breaking up the organized theft rings, rather than focusing on the joy riders, so many are going to go un punished. We need to better fund anti-theft prevention units. Penn. has a good model where they created an authority funded by insurance companies and over the last 10 years, thefts in PA have dropped from about 50,000 in '95 to 26,000 in 2004.

And yes, devices do work. Many car thefts are opportunistic and any obstacles can cause the would-be thieves to go to another vehicle.

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Washington, D.C.: Mr. Anderson,

What are your thoughts on the reliability of the Club anti-theft device?

Lon Anderson: Hey Washington, DC, great questions! The Club--a big, visible steering whell lock device is useful. So often car thefts are a crime of opportunity and any inconvenience or impediment can be enough to discourage a thief and force him/her to move on to another vehicle. they are not fool proof, but certainly very helpful, and relatively inexpensive and easy to use. I use one on a convertible sports car I own.

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Arlington, Va.: Hi Lon,

I was wondering how effective Lo-Jacks are in recovering a stolen vehicle before any serious damage is done (chop-shop, etc.)? Also is there a limitation to how long the Lo-jack works?

Lon Anderson: I think Lo-Jacks are effective, but nothing is effective in all cases. If you don't discover your theft within a short period, the thieves, especially if they are pros, can have your car disassembled and the Lo-Jack disabled. That said, Lo-Jack also comes with some insurance, according to their advertising, so I would think it has proven effective.

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Richmond, Va.: Hi Lon - I have a Volkswagen Jetta, and I've heard they're popular with car thieves. Are there any particular brands that are more subject to theft?

Lon Anderson: Hello, Richmond: Great News!! Your Jetta doesn't even make the top 10 list of stolen cars. Here are the most popular as of 2004: 1. 2000 Honda Civic 2. 1989 Toyota Camry; 3. 4. 1991 Honda Accord; 5. 1994 Chevy full size C/K 1500 pick-up; 5. 1994 Dodge Caravan; 6. 1997 Ford f-150 pickup series; 7. 1986 Toyota Pick-up; 8. 1995 Acura Integra; 9. 1987 Nissan Sentra; 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlas.

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Washington, D.C.: For what purpose are most cars being stolen these days?

Parts? Joyriding? All of the above?

Lon Anderson: Hey, Wash., DC--All of the above appears to be the answer. Kids do it for the thrill and to get a "ride", while the pros do it for huge profits.

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Arlington, Va.: With the advent of LoJack and other car protection devices, have you found that more cars are being recovered? In addition, has the rate at which stolen cars are ever found changed at all in the last 5-10 years?

Lon Anderson: Arlington--great question. More cars are being recovered, but there are still huge numbers that aren't. In 2003, 1,260,471 vehicles were reported stolen, and the recovery mark is right about 65%. So 35% were never recovered, and many of those recovered were minus, radios, engines, tires, etc. I don't have the rate of change over the last several years in front of me, but if you want to pursue, check the NICB.org Web site--that's the National Insurance Crime Bureau which has very good stats on thefts. Thanks for asking!

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Silver Spring, Md.: You mentioned that any impediment to theft could help. I've always figured owning a stick shift helped protect my car against theft -- at the least the 13-year-olds might be deterred. Do you know if there's actual data on this? Are thieves more likely to pass up a manual transmission?

Lon Anderson: Hello Silver Spring--I suspect you are correct that stick shifts are not in as high demand. There was a story about a car Jacking in our area recently where the thief ordered the owner out of the car and jumped in only to find a stick shift and then demanded a lesson in driving a stick shift. True Story! I don't have the stats to support you, but I think if we went searching, you would be right.

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Herndon, Va.: Mr. A: The "top 10" list seems somewhat strange -- why several cars/models over 10 years old? Are their parts interchangeable with other vehicles? I assume that would be the main reason to steal older cars -- for a "chop job."

Lon Anderson: Herndon--You're right on the money. The older cars are breaking down much more so there is higher demand for the parts. The more popular the car was several years ago, the more of them there are breaking down today...

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Baltimore, Md.: Is there a way to safeguard your license plates? We just had ours stolen by an angry parker who said we were blocking him in, so he ripped off our plates and held them for "ransom" until we paid for the damage he did to his car trying to get out. Fortunately, we called the police and he stupidly admitted to the crime and we returned them, but what's to stop this again? Are there any special things on the market to prevent people from taking your plates or cutting your stickers off the corners?

Lon Anderson: Baltimore--Great question!! I don't think there is any good way to deter plate theft, other than keeping your vehicle parked in a busy, well-lighted area, or locked in your garage. I have had my license tags stolen, and my stickers removed. About a year ago, I got a ticket for expired tags, only to discover my new sticker was gone! That's a tough one, since we are all required to have tags displayed on the exterior of our cars. Some plate covers might make theft slightly more difficult, but probably not enough to deter a determined thief.

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Washington, D.C.: The potential for car theft in NE D.C. is the main reason I maintain full-coverage insurance on an older car that I own outright. Is there any good resource to research the statistical odds of my car being stolen to help me decide if I should drop to liability coverage?

Lon Anderson: Good question. Your insurance agent would be a good resource, and also the NICB.org web site that I mentioned earlier.

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Silver Spring, Md.: What are the hot spots in each county? If caught, do the thieves do any time?

Lon Anderson: Hello, Silver Spring: I'm not sure about hot spots in the counties, but here's the hottest spot in our region: Prince Georges County. In 2003, more than 62,000 vehicles were stolen in our region. But half of MD's thefts took place in Prince Georges alone. Regionally, thefts seem to be most concentrated around/near the Capital Beltway. But, PG has been aggressively addressing this issue, and it is a problem in every jurisdiction.

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Washington, D.C.: I am intrigued by people using towtrucks to take cars out of people's driveways. Has this been going on a long time? How could you combat this?

Lon Anderson: Great question, Washington, DC. This is a huge concern for AAA as well. A contract driver for AAA was recently murdered in our area, as he attempted to prevent the theft of his truck. Tow truck theft to facilitate car theft is a growing menace. If you park on the street, park between other cars whenever possible, and turn the front wheels in sharply to the curb. Setting the parking brake can also help. But there are no sure-fire stops!

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Bethesda, Md.: It seems like car alarms are pretty standard equipment these days. It also seems like people are fairly consistent in ignoring them, since they get set off by accident so frequently. As a result, do you think car alarms have any deterrent value at all anymore -- or should we just look at them as noisy accessories that also let us open our doors without using keys?

Lon Anderson: Intriguing question, Bethesda. While the alarms are routinely ignored, they do call attention to the car, and undoubtedly do deter some from finishing the theft that they started. Most effective is when the alarm is coupled with some kind of fuel-interruption device so that the vehicle can't be started/won't run once activated.

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Cincinnati, Ohio: Loved you on W.K.R.P.! What is next for Loni?

Lon Anderson: No more Burt!

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SW Washington, D.C.: I have a kill switch on my car and the manufacturer says that the car cannot be started when it is in the locked position. My question is can the car still be started?

Thanks

Lon Anderson: Hey SW DC--A sophisticated thief might be able to do it, but again, most thefts are crimes of opportunity, and this adds a huge wrinkle to the theft, and will probably mean he/she will move on to another vehicle, and that most would-be thieves will not be able to defeat the system quickly.

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Tampa, Fla.: Re stick shifts: My stick '92 Honda Accord was stolen twice out of my apartment parking lot in north Arlington (Courthouse area) in 1995 and 1997. So I'm not sure having a manual transmission helps.

I recall reading most cars are stolen for parts. The thieves fence them to chop shops. I would think going after chop shops would help reduce car thefts. Has anyone tried to determine if this is true?

Finally, the Arlington police told me living near highways is bad -- car thieves like to steal cars near highways and interstates to allow quick getaways. They especially like easy access to the District. The District police (at least back in the '90s) were overwhelmed by violent crime and lacked the resources to investigate car thefts. My car was found just over the District line near a high school (Central High, I think). The police told me they would find several cars out there every weekend morning stripped of parts. Is the District still the destination of choice for car thieves?

Lon Anderson: Hello Tampa--Good information that you provide! I noted a couple of answers ago that theft patterns here are heaviest around the Capital Beltway. You have just given the reasons. And yes, the Washington area is very high on the places to get your car stolen, unfortunately. And yes, going after chop shops does help and they are a major focus on area police departments. But, given the huge number of vehicles and their availability--they are everywhere, it's a crime that's almost impossible to stop completely.

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Palmer Park (Landover), Md.: I live in Palmer Park, Md. For years, I have complained about an open-air car dumping market, for cars on certain streets in my neighborhood. This is especially true on Normandy Road in the 7600 Block. The two truck that brings them parks on the street. They are stripped and abandoned. When I call the abandoned car department for PG, they ask me to get the tag number and other information. If the car is stolen, then I must report it to the police department instead of the abandoned vehicle department. It is my understanding that there are only two employees in the abandoned vehicle department for the entire County. After writing the county executive's office, I was able to get the cars removed approximately two weeks ago. Now, there are others. The reason the cars are being left in the same places is evident -- they feel safe. My car was carjacked from my partner in 1996 and, believe me, it is one of the worst violations. My friend looked for the car and the person for months. I am only thankful that he did not find them, because a person like that is not worth spending time in jail for. While Jack Johnson has made progress in some neighborhoods in this County -- Palmer Park is not one of them. The same young man that was standing on the corner in 1990 selling drugs when I moved in the neighborhood is now selling them on the corner of Normandy Road and Greenleaf Road, and is living in the 7600 block of Normandy Road where the cars are being abandoned. I can always count on the police to pull up behind me and get on the bull horn when I have to double park to take my groceries from the car. Perhaps some of the time can be spent on Normandy Road pulling up behind those thieves. I don't want to know how to protect my car. I'd like the thefts to stop, and I think, that, in addition to securing your car, a better police presence in the neighborhood where the cars are being stolen and dumped will help a great deal.

Lon Anderson: Hey Palmer Park--Not much I can add to your letter. You lay out the frustrations and challenges faced when dealing with local bureaucracies. Thanks for sharing.

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Lincoln Park: Hello Mr Anderson,

Your list of the most stolen cars looked a bit like the list of most common cars.

How does the list change when you factor in popularity? That is, what happens if you rank the cars by fraction-stolen-of-total-out-there?

Lon Anderson: Hello Lincoln Park--I also have a short list of the high-end highest theft vehicles for this year and it's different--Cadillac Escalade EXT 2002-2003; Nissan Maxima 2002-2003; Dodge Stratus/Schrysler Sebring; and the Dodge Intrepid.

Your point about what happens you look at the stats differently is good, but I have not broken down the numbers.

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Lon Anderson: This is great, everybody, and I am sorry that I still have a lot of questions pending, but we are out of time. In fact, we are almost a half hour over. Thank you so much for your time and interest, and keep watching Washpost.com, which I am sure, will continue to run information on this important topic, and special thanks to my hosts here for inviting me on to visit with you!

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