Securing a stolen vehicle

[Clusterfrack]

This scenario has played out twice with friends here in the Portland area, so I assume it's a fairly common occurrence these days.

Vehicle was stolen, and later located by LE, who called the owner with the location of the vehicle. In each case they were told that there would not be any officers present at the vehicle, and to be careful not to confront the car thieves. In one case, the mom of the the owner had a screaming face-off with a car thief. In the other case (last night), the owner arrived well-armed, and did not encounter any resistance (however, he was concerned because his unarmed wife drove him to the location).

Here is my question: how would you approach this problem?

My current plan is to retrieve the stolen vehicle with at least one well-armed friend, wearing my plate carrier, armed with a PDW. If there appear to be multiple perpetrators present at the location, drive on and notify LE.

[Flamingo]

To be honest, it would depend on how long it was stolen. The cars that I have recovered that have been stolen for more than a few days I wouldn't want back. They were filled with dirty needles, dirty clothes and almost always other stolen property. I don't want to have to deal with a literal HAZMAT clean up. I have replacement coverage on my vehicles just for that reason.

[Clusterfrack]

Flamingo, good point. In both cases, the vehicles were located fairly quickly and were not contaminated.

[HCM]

This scenario has played out twice with friends here in the Portland area, so I assume it's a fairly common occurrence these days.

Vehicle was stolen, and later located by LE, who called the owner with the location of the vehicle. In each case they were told that there would not be any officers present at the vehicle, and to be careful not to confront the car thieves. In one case, the mom of the the owner had a screaming face-off with a car thief. In the other case (last night), the owner arrived well-armed, and did not encounter any resistance (however, he was concerned because his unarmed wife drove him to the location).

Here is my question: how would you approach this problem?

My current plan is to retrieve the stolen vehicle with at least one well-armed friend, wearing my plate carrier, armed with a PDW. If there appear to be multiple perpetrators present at the location, drive on and notify LE.

I would go prepared as you described assuming your plate carrier is low vis.

You are assuming the stolen vehicle is drivable ? If stripped of wheels etc or ignition damaged you may be waiting around for a flatbed tow truck. I’d rather pay a couple hundred for a row then attempt repairs on scene. Gloves, and some garbage bags would be a good addition for the reasons Flamingo mentioned.

[Lost River]

I would consider asking your insurance agent what their procedure is. It would be presumed that you notified your insurance company immediately upon discovering it was stolen, after notifying police. Perhaps it may be better to let the insurance company handle the recovery.

[Flamingo]

I would just be cautious rolling anywhere rocking a visible PC. Maybe toss a big sweatshirt over it.

I think arriving 2+ deep is definitely a good idea. One thing to keep in mind is that vehicle theft, at least in our general AO, is no longer a serious crime and that if you get into an altercation it will be looked at through that optic.

[Clusterfrack]

I would consider asking your insurance agent what their procedure is. It would be presumed that you notified your insurance company immediately upon discovering it was stolen, after notifying police. Perhaps it may be better to let the insurance company handle the recovery.

That's prudent advice, and now that you mentioned it, I'll suggest it as well.

But, I'm heading out immediately and securing my vehicle.

[KevH]

This scenario has played out twice with friends here in the Portland area, so I assume it's a fairly common occurrence these days.

Vehicle was stolen, and later located by LE, who called the owner with the location of the vehicle. In each case they were told that there would not be any officers present at the vehicle, and to be careful not to confront the car thieves. In one case, the mom of the the owner had a screaming face-off with a car thief. In the other case (last night), the owner arrived well-armed, and did not encounter any resistance (however, he was concerned because his unarmed wife drove him to the location).

Here is my question: how would you approach this problem?

My current plan is to retrieve the stolen vehicle with at least one well-armed friend, wearing my plate carrier, armed with a PDW. If there appear to be multiple perpetrators present at the location, drive on and notify LE.

Leave it.

Wait for the cops to get there to "recover it" and remove is from SVS (stolen vehicle system). You want to go stand/park next to it (if it is a public place) that's fine so long as you let the dispatcher know and provide a clear description of yourself.

It's property. You get into an armed confrontation over it and have a liberal DA YOU will be the one getting prosecuted.

In California (and most places in the country I think) you get stopped in a vehicle entered as stolen a high-risk car stop will be initiated and you will get yanked out at gunpoint. If you have guns and are wearing a plate carrier it's going to be perceived as much more "high-risk" by the amped-up cops conducting the stop. That is a good way to get yourself shot.

Let insurance deal with it.

[Clusterfrack]

Leave it.

Wait for the cops to get there to "recover it" and remove is from SVS (stolen vehicle system). You want to go stand/park next to it (if it is a public place) that's fine so long as you let the dispatcher know and provide a clear description of yourself.

It's property. You get into an armed confrontation over it and have a liberal DA YOU will be the one getting prosecuted.

In California (and most places in the country I think) you get stopped in a vehicle entered as stolen a high-risk car stop will be initiated and you will get yanked out at gunpoint. If you have guns and are wearing a plate carrier it's going to be perceived as much more "high-risk" by the amped-up cops conducting the stop.

Great points--especially about getting pulled over. Seems like at least notify LE that you have secured the vehicle, and give them your description?

And here in Portland, LE is not coming to recover it.

[KevH]

...also, I'm not sure from your post if the cops located the car, removed it from SVS, and left it parked there or not.

If they did that, they should not have. In most jurisdictions, including mine, you can't just leave a car you remove from SVS. Either the owner picks it up or it gets towed.

If for some reason that disaster that is the Portland Police Bureau is leaving stolen cars in place that they removed from SVS that is a recipe for a mess.

I would ask the cops to tow the car and let insurance deal with any tow/storage fees after I pick it up.

[Flamingo]

In WA if the car is located, localish to the RO, and is "legally parked" the police will call the RO and ask if they want the vehicle impounded or left in place. Our Dispatchers would then remove the vehicle from the hot sheets. I have had cars removed and added to the hot sheets two or three times in a short period of time because the car thieves got to the car before the RO.

[KevH]

Great points--especially about getting pulled over. Seems like at least notify LE that you have secured the vehicle, and give them your description?

And here in Portland, LE is not coming to recover it.

If it was reported stolen to the police and entered into the system (in Oregeon it's the LEDS/NCIC), it has to be removed from the system somehow. I don't care what state you are in, that requires the registered owner/reporting party's signature (NCIC rules).

Here is Portland's policy:
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/article/735543

If you find the car, call the police and chill with the car until they get there and it's removed (after you provide a description of yourself and that you're the owner). If the police are too much of a hot mess to come get it, call a tow company and have it towed to their yard (and call you insurance). Let them deal with the fiasco.

Don't go drive around a car that is reported stolen until the police remove it from the system.

Side note: Most dirtbags that steal cars don't want to keep them and don't want to fight you for them. They steal them, do some crimes, and then dump them and go steal another car. Any cop that goes and takes a stolen vehicle report that's worth his salt knows to check around the immediate area after he takes the report because he'll find a dumped stolen nearby. So the risk to the owner of the thief coming back is generally super low.

[KevH]

In WA if the car is located, localish to the RO, and is "legally parked" the police will call the RO and ask if they want the vehicle impounded or left in place. Our Dispatchers would then remove the vehicle from the hot sheets. I have had cars removed and added to the hot sheets two or three times in a short period of time because the car thieves got to the car before the RO.

That is literally one of the dumbest things I've heard in the past few days.

Whoever the moron admin person is that thought that would be a good idea needs a good smack on the back of his/her head.

[Flamingo]

That is literally one of the dumbest things I've heard in the past few days.

Whoever the moron admin person is that thought that would be a good idea needs a good smack on the back of his/her head.

I agree.

[Coyotesfan97]

When we recovered a stolen vehicle dispatch would confirm it with the records of the ORI who would remove it from NCIC/ACIC as a stolen. We would try to call the owner to have it picked up. If they had a reasonable response time we’d wait with the car. If they were far away, couldn’t respond, or no answer we had it towed. Frankly having it towed was the easiest because it was a 10-20 minute wait for the tow truck. We did not leave it in place.

After I was told the car was removed from the system I liked to run it again to confirm it before releasing it. It’s infrequent but doing a high risk stop on a recovered cat that wasn’t taken out of the system is embarrassing.

[KevH]

When we recovered a stolen vehicle dispatch would confirm it with the records of the ORI who would remove it from NCIC/ACIC as a stolen. We would try to call the owner to have it picked up. If they had a reasonable response time we’d wait with the car. If they were far away, couldn’t respond, or no answer we had it towed. Frankly having it towed was the easiest because it was a 10-20 minute wait for the tow truck. We did not leave it in place.

After I was told the car was removed from the system I liked to run it again to confirm it before releasing it. It’s infrequent but doing a high risk stop on a recovered cat that wasn’t taken out of the system is embarrassing.

Same.

[JCN]

Clusterfrack

So sorry that you and your friends have to go through this.

It sounds like a horror show.

[JCL]

Flamingo, good point. In both cases, the vehicles were located fairly quickly and were not contaminated.

I’d guess that they could start shedding lice and whatever other bugs they were infested with as soon as they entered the vehicle. An inexpensive Tyvek coverall would be prudent. I’d avoid skin contact with any surface that has not been thoroughly disinfected. I’m by no means a germ freak but I’ve seen more than a few of these people up close and they can be nasty.

You’d need to handle any confrontation with the thieves carefully. Anyone you encounter is likely to be armed and unstable. There are firearms in the crime camp close to my home and I’d be surprised if anyone in that demographic wasn’t armed with at least some sort of improvised weapon. Add in some chemical courage and things could go sideways in a hurry. Limited use of force in defense of property is legal in this jurisdiction, but any escalation would need to be managed in such a way as to maintain your innocence at all times. At a minimum I’d have competent armed backup as well someone to document the recovery with video. Careful observation of the scene before approaching would be prudent.

[BN]

I had loaned a car to a "family member". Hind sight is a wonderful thing. :) The car became misplaced with just a few clues as to where it was. I got a tip and found the car with 4 flat tires. I was confronted when I found the car and I just drove off and went to the Sheriff's Office. I had the car towed while a deputy stood by. I stayed away. The insurance company took care of repairs. I wouldn't go anywhere near the car. Besides the tires, it had minor crash damage from 4-wheeling and the battery was gone. I think it had been traded for drugs. :( Let the insurance company deal with it.

[Erik]

I’d guess that they could start shedding lice and whatever other bugs they were infested with as soon as they entered the vehicle. An inexpensive Tyvek coverall would be prudent. I’d avoid skin contact with any surface that has not been thoroughly disinfected. I’m by no means a germ freak but I’ve seen more than a few of these people up close and they can be nasty.

Scabies is a very real, and contagious, possibility now that you mention it.

[AMC]

In WA if the car is located, localish to the RO, and is "legally parked" the police will call the RO and ask if they want the vehicle impounded or left in place. Our Dispatchers would then remove the vehicle from the hot sheets. I have had cars removed and added to the hot sheets two or three times in a short period of time because the car thieves got to the car before the RO.

I'm sorry....but that is so negligent it is retarded.

[Lost River]

I'm sorry....but that is so negligent it is retarded.

The word “Retarded” for such policy making is not politically correct.

The correct term is “Captain”.

[Totem Polar]

But, I'm heading out immediately and securing my vehicle.

Sorry to hear that your ride got jacked. I like your plan. I have a friend that had his car (original and the replacement) stolen twice. Each time, the Police notified him of location, and we gave him a lift. 3 people; I had a Glock of one stripe or another with me. That was then, this is now. I think your plan is solid. Put on the cover garment and get to a place where you can move on from this debacle.

I’d add to the voices that would not be surprised to find a ride undriveable; both times we went to fetch our buddy’s errant Honda, the wheels/tires were gone and the catalytic converter was cut out. The doors, shifter, and steering wheel were also sprayed with WD-40 (pro tip: a good dose of WD-40 will obliterate prints from a surface), but I digress.

[Clusterfrack]

Sorry to hear that your ride got jacked. I like your plan. I have a friend that had his car (original and the replacement) stolen twice. Each time, the Police notified him of location, and we gave him a lift. 3 people; I had a Glock of one stripe or another with me. That was then, this is now. I think your plan is solid. Put on the cover garment and get to a place where you can move on from this debacle.

I’d add to the voices that would not be surprised to find a ride undriveable; both times we went to fetch our buddy’s errant Honda, the wheels/tires were gone and the catalytic converter was cut out. The doors, shifter, and steering wheel were also sprayed with WD-40 (pro tip: a good dose of WD-40 will obliterate prints from a surface), but I digress.

Thanks. Fortunately it wasn't mine--it was a buddy's Jeep. And he got it back without problems.

I started this thread so we can discuss what to do if/when this happens.

[Lester Polfus]

My strong hope is that if one of my vehicles is stolen it is either not ever found, or if it is, it's totalled.

Having said that, fuck getting in a shooting or gunfight in Portland over recovering a car. I would not be in a big hurry to gun up and go over there in recover my vehicle from the Mad Max wasteland Portland has become. They are creating the perfect shit storm where the cops aren't doing anything, but if you smoke a couple local residents over your property the cops aren't protecting, you'll go to prison real fast.

I guess my option would be to wait for daylight hours, get a local towing company to meet me there, snatch it as quick as possible and get it towed somewhere I can assess what's going on with the vehicle.

[kwb377]

My strong hope is that if one of my vehicles is stolen it is either not ever found, or if it is, it's totalled.


Especially if any type of pursuit is involved.

{phone call from PD} "Mr. 377, we've recovered your vehicle."
{me} "Was it set on fire?""
{PD} "No sir, it appears to be drivable."
{me} "Can you set it on fire?"

[Malamute]

To put this situation in the context of not being in Portland, and this being a difficult time to find replacement vehicles, would it be appropriate to go to the vehicle and put a "Club" type steering lock on it until it can be recovered/towed to keep it from driving away again?

I often spent a fair amount of time and effort getting my vehicles as functional for my uses as I can, starting over is probably not going to be entirely covered by insurance, and would still require more time and effort to duplicate if even possible compared to recovering a non-destroyed vehicle back in possession and good working order.

[Lester Polfus]

Especially if any type of pursuit is involved.

{phone call from PD} "Mr. 377, we've recovered your vehicle."
{me} "Was it set on fire?""
{PD} "No sir, it appears to be drivable."
{me} "Can you set it on fire?"

I actually had some other thoughts I deleted from that post, lest somebody be confused that I was advocating for insurance fraud.

[Totem Polar]

My strong hope is that if one of my vehicles is stolen it is either not ever found, or if it is, it's totalled.


You just reminded me that another friend of mine had his car stolen, maybe, 15 years ago or so. Car was found 3 days later, on the outskirts of town behind a grain elevator, with the dash torn apart (stereo), the cat cut, 300 extra miles on it, and a smattering of used needles scattered inside.

Car gets towed to his place. The next night, after work, he is out there, in his jeans and hoodie, with rubber gloves on and a bucket of disinfectant, trying to clean up various stains of undetermined origin. Unbeknownst to him, his neighbors—who he got along with great—see some guy in a hoodie out fucking around in the car at 11 at night, and they think “Oh no you don’t! Not this time…” and they call the cops on what they think is a car theft in progress.

Hilarity ensued, complete with a half-dozen drawn guns. Fortunately, a bright yellow soapy sponge is pretty easy to separate from a weapon upon snap ID, even under stress. Plus, the local blue is pretty darn well trained. Could have been… not good.

At any rate, carry on. Just another data point.

[WDR]

And here in Portland, LE is not coming to recover it.

I may be way out of my lane on this... but what an absolute crock of shit that is. Absurd.

[mmc45414]

The doors, shifter, and steering wheel were also sprayed with WD-40 (pro tip: a good dose of WD-40 will obliterate prints from a surface), but I digress.
I guess the prints are probably there, but the tape cannot lift them...

[mmc45414]

In one case, the mom of the the owner had a screaming face-off with a car thief. In the other case (last night), the owner arrived well-armed, and did not encounter any resistance (however, he was concerned because his unarmed wife drove him to the location).

Here is my question: how would you approach this problem?

My current plan is to retrieve the stolen vehicle with at least one well-armed friend, wearing my plate carrier, armed with a PDW. If there appear to be multiple perpetrators present at the location, drive on and notify LE.

Part of the reason I own my PDW is because in my state it is legal to carry in a vehicle under my CHL. But here I would expect 5.0 to hang around long enough for me to get there. Now that you mention it, I am not sure exactly who all I would have on speed dial in this situation. It would seem like the more the merrier. We used to have a 3/4 ton Suburban that looked an awful lot like something a personal security detail would drive (other than the wrong color) and I would derp fanaticize about rolling up to a sketchy Craigslist deal (an older couple, who were dumb/trusting enough to show up for a S/S/S type meeting got robbed) and having all of my shooting buddies pile out of the thing.

All of the insurance advice sounds like the correct approach, but not certain they are exactly on your side either. Do you run the risk of them taking the position that your car got recovered, you were notified by the police, problem solved, no claim?

But this just sounds like a total BS situation.

[whomever]

My datapoint from 15 odd years ago in the Seattle area ... phone rings at 2AM:

Dispatcher: "This is the Sheriff's office ... do you know where your car is?"
Me: "Sure, it's parked in the driveway"
D: "Umm...why don't you check?"
(I assume long experience has taught them that's the quickest way for the dumbass owner to wake up and realize they aren't just doing a random parking survey at 2AM)
Me: "It's not there!"
D: gives me the location

The deputy waited until I arrived. I don't remember signing anything or even being asked for ID, but might be forgetting. He tried hard to help me get it out of the ditch, to no avail. I called USAA and asked what they wanted done, and they said tow it to wherever. The deputy waited until the tow arrived.

In hindsight, having it towed and getting it the next day seems to have a lot of advantages.


Question: what percentage of recovered vehicles are drivable? Or more specifically, safely driveable, i.e. the lights are intact and so on.

[ubervic]

I've lived in a few cities----including Washington DC for 8 yrs----and have never had a car stolen, nor has anyone in my circles (immediate and extended family, friends, coworkers).

I'm glad to live a boring life.

[Caballoflaco]

I got a 2am call one morning that one of my stolen motorcycles had been recovered unwrecked, but out of gas (the reserve petcock wasn’t reserve :) This was probably three months after I had already been paid my insurance company. I explained to the officer that it was the insurance company’s motorcycle now and no longer my problem.

The thing that sucked about it was that the officer who called me was a young dude who was really excited to have found my bike, and I could hear the disappointment in his voice when I told him I wouldn’t be coming to recover it. To make up for that I did call the Sargeant at his substation and asked them to pass along my thanks for him taking the time to check it out, when he could have just driven by.

[KevH]

To put this situation in the context of not being in Portland, and this being a difficult time to find replacement vehicles, would it be appropriate to go to the vehicle and put a "Club" type steering lock on it until it can be recovered/towed to keep it from driving away again?

I often spent a fair amount of time and effort getting my vehicles as functional for my uses as I can, starting over is probably not going to be entirely covered by insurance, and would still require more time and effort to duplicate if even possible compared to recovering a non-destroyed vehicle back in possession and good working order.

"The Club" type devices are worthless. It takes about 4 seconds for someone that knows what they're doing or that has the proper tools to pop one off.

Like I said before, there is no reason not to hang out with your vehicle until the cops show up so long as it is in a public place and you feel comfortable doing so. Just make sure dispatch knows that you're there and what you look like. If the cops can't give you an ETA call a tow company and have it towed and let the police know so they can respond there to eventually remove it from the system.

[Joe S]

I guess the prints are probably there, but the tape cannot lift them...

PF thread drift: WD40 is mostly just partially purified petroleum/oil, with a smattering of benzene and xylene, if I recall correctly. I'd imagine it would dissolve skin oils quite readily, plus have the effect you mention.

[fly out]

I have no idea what their response would be, but I'd be calling AAA and asking to have it towed to the dealer (if it was truly my problem to solve...I feel bad for my fellow Americans who live in a place where that's the case (and I feel worse for the handful of them that didn't vote for it)).

[Wise_A]

One thing I would be mindful of is the potential for the vehicle to still be listed as stolen. I've seen this, or variations thereof, several times--vehicle's RO is pulled over either on the way home or sometimes several days later. There are several reasons--officer or dispatcher fucked up and did not cancel the stolen vehicle, two agencies get into a pissing match over who's supposed to cancel it, etc. The pertinent thing being that an officer is going to pull you over, see your vehicle is stolen, and until he can get up there and talk to you, you look an awful lot like a car thief.

I can't even comprehend Portland not having a patrol out to recover the vehicle (how do you cancel the file1 without knowing the vehicle is back with the owner?) but I suppose they're short-handed.

[Donny B]

Let the police and insurance co. handle it. The downside could be extreme.

[Odin Bravo One]

This is why I don’t buy minimum coverage. If LE is unable, or more likely with PPB, unwilling to preserve life and protect property, why would I want to handle it? You pay your premiums, let the people being paid to handle it, handle it.

Something goes sideways, especially in places like Portland, you’re life as you know it will never be the same.

For what? A fucking car?

You can get a new car.

[Lester Polfus]

This is why I don’t buy minimum coverage. If LE is unable, or more likely with PPB, unwilling to preserve life and protect property, why would I want to handle it? You pay your premiums, let the people being paid to handle it, handle it.

Something goes sideways, especially in places like Portland, you’re life as you know it will never be the same.

For what? A fucking car?

You can get a new car.

I can't like this post enough. I now consider Portland to be the equivalent to visiting some of the third-world garden spots I visited when my job was to take cocaine away from people. We choose our reasons for going there very carefully, and the last thing I want to do is have to engage with a someone experiencing a mental health crisis who is getting their life together. The vagaries of Portland politics will drive the aftermath much more than the facts.

[Casual Friday]

My current plan is to retrieve the stolen vehicle with at least one well-armed friend, wearing my plate carrier, armed with a PDW. If there appear to be multiple perpetrators present at the location, drive on and notify LE.

This is pretty much how you should handle going to Portland or Seattle post 2020.


In WA if the car is located, localish to the RO, and is "legally parked" the police will call the RO and ask if they want the vehicle impounded or left in place. Our Dispatchers would then remove the vehicle from the hot sheets. I have had cars removed and added to the hot sheets two or three times in a short period of time because the car thieves got to the car before the RO.

This is exactly how it played out when friends of ours had their truck stolen from one of the airport parking lots outside of Seatac. The truck was found in a less than desirable Seattle neighborhood with, shall we say, multiple socioeconomic problems and was undriveable due to a bunch of electronics and other parts being stripped from underneath the hood.

[willie]

Thinking you might need to be armed to recover a vehicle is a good reason to have it towed. In one odd sense, having to shoot somebody over a car is in the same category of doing it over a lawn mower. Let me point out that there is much higher risk of confrontation in some parts of town. Of course everybody knows this. Distantly related is this pearl of wisdom: your court appointed attorney is not your friend.

[Mark D]

A question for LE - how common is car theft?

For most late-model cars, I'd was under the impression that chip keys had dramatically reduced auto theft.

So, is auto theft still fairly common in some locales? And if so, what techniques or tools can be used to make it harder for a thief to successfully take a vehicle?

[HCM]

A question for LE - how common is car theft?

For most late-model cars, I'd was under the impression that chip keys had dramatically reduced auto theft.

So, is auto theft still fairly common in some locales? And if so, what techniques or tools can be used to make it harder for a thief to successfully take a vehicle?

Common enough there are still full time task forces and units which do nothing but investigate auto theft.

Any anti theft technology is merely a temporary reprieve until the other side figures out how to counter it.

[GJM]

Heck, with the used car market as strong as it is, I would just put an ad and sell it as is, where is.

[WobblyPossum]

Common enough there are still full time task forces and units which do nothing but investigate auto theft.

Any anti theft technology is merely a temporary reprieve until the other side figures out how to counter it.

With regards to New Mexico, both the NM State Police and Albuquerque Police Department have full-time auto theft units. It’s incredibly common around here.

[Tabasco]

Side note: Most dirtbags that steal cars don't want to keep them and don't want to fight you for them. They steal them, do some crimes, and then dump them and go steal another car. Any cop that goes and takes a stolen vehicle report that's worth his salt knows to check around the immediate area after he takes the report because he'll find a dumped stolen nearby. So the risk to the owner of the thief coming back is generally super low.

I have a friend in the Bay Area (San Francisco) who's mother's car was stolen recently off the street after being serviced. It's a pre 1999 Honda Civic, fairly easy to steal. Whoever stole it went to the trouble to switch out plates from a similar year/model/make/color car. I thought that was kind of a lot of trouble for most casual car thieves. Still haven't recovered it, but it was involved in a fender bender after stolen, and the person driving it (the thief maybe?) bothered to exchange insurance information (fake I guess?) with the other driver involved. This whole situation struck be as kind of unusual, am I correct?

[KevH]

I have a friend in the Bay Area (San Francisco) who's mother's car was stolen recently off the street after being serviced. It's a pre 1999 Honda Civic, fairly easy to steal. Whoever stole it went to the trouble to switch out plates from a similar year/model/make/color car. I thought that was kind of a lot of trouble for most casual car thieves. Still haven't recovered it, but it was involved in a fender bender after stolen, and the person driving it (the thief maybe?) bothered to exchange insurance information (fake I guess?) with the other driver involved. This whole situation struck be as kind of unusual, am I correct?

1990's Hondas, Toyotas and Saturns are some of the easiest cars to steal period. Pretty much any shaved key will open them and actuate the ignition.

Swapping out the plates ("cold plating") isn't uncommon at all. In fact with the rise of LPR cameras it has become almost standard practice.

The exchanging info after a crash is pretty unique though...

[Jeff22]

In my county, in the last five years, there has been an unbelievable number of cars stolen because they were left unlocked with the keys in them. In some cases, with the owner’s “car gun” under the front seat or in the center console or in the glove compartment.

Catalytic converter theft has increased greatly too.

[Wise_A]

A question for LE - how common is car theft?

For most late-model cars, I'd was under the impression that chip keys had dramatically reduced auto theft.

So, is auto theft still fairly common in some locales? And if so, what techniques or tools can be used to make it harder for a thief to successfully take a vehicle?

Suburban area, mostly. Low-crime. Somewhat uncommon. I have to put on my shocked face when a stolen vehicle doesn't turn out to be repo'd. When it does happen, I can tell you where it's going to be found: one of two neighboring jurisdictions, within a six-block radius. Far more common are "rock rentals".


In my county, in the last five years, there has been an unbelievable number of cars stolen because they were left unlocked with the keys in them. In some cases, with the owner’s “car gun” under the front seat or in the center console or in the glove compartment.

Catalytic converter theft has increased greatly too.

Yes, on both counts, although our morons generally don't leave guns in the car, just every other fucking thing.

Come to think of it, I don't believe I have ever filled out a stolen vehicle bulletin and not ticked the "keys with the vehicle" box.

[JohnO]

A question for LE - how common is car theft?

For most late-model cars, I'd was under the impression that chip keys had dramatically reduced auto theft.

So, is auto theft still fairly common in some locales? And if so, what techniques or tools can be used to make it harder for a thief to successfully take a vehicle?

Car theft has become common place in Connecticut. However it is 99.99% preventable because in every case the Keys are in the car. Some people leave the keys in their car at home in their driveway. Colder months a car started with the key to warm up. Easy pickings.

Becoming more common is brazen theft by deception in a store/mall parking lot. A multi person team will wait for the driver to start the car. One perp will then knock on the car window and say "someone damaged your car". They will refer to a part of the car the person needs to get out to look at. If the driver gets out to look the 2nd perp jumps in the car and takes it.

Catalytic converter theft is on a heavy upswing. In two separate instances shots have been thrown at the vehicle owner in my hometown who went out to look at the disturbance in their driveway. This is quite uncharacteristic in my town. Direct quote of a text I received from a cop buddy; "In a happier note, a guy interrupted 3 guys trying to steal his catalytic converter and when he approached them they pulled a gun. He pulled his gun and shot at them three times. Unknown if he hit anyone" I asked about consequences for the vehicle owner who fired at the perps. Again a direct quote of his response; "Nope. Self Defense. He said bad guys had a gun, and we believed him." I was glad to hear this and slightly surprised that in Ultra-Liberal CT there wouldn't be some sort of BS charges for the vehicle owner.

I went to a town meeting held by our Police Chief. He basically said the laws passed over the last few years in CT have emboldened the "juvenile" criminal element. They have no consequences and the the kids are being utilized buy gangs/crime rings. A typical suburban nighttime scenario: A stolen car full of kids will roll into a neighborhood they have targeted. All but the driver get out and sweep down the road checking every car. If the car doors are locked they move along. If they gain entry they quickly grab anything of value. If keys are in the car it is gone! They move down the road hitting every car as their getaway vehicle creeps along with them. The Chief had plenty of video to show from security cameras. Security lights and obvious cameras were of zero deterrent value, the perps don't care.

[ssb]

A case I prosecuted involved some juveniles, some of whom were treated as adults. They worked as a team. They split up into smaller groups and cased neighborhoods trying car doors in the early morning hours. This yielded them miscellaneous stolen property and, importantly, a firearm (they were previously unarmed). Using that firearm, they carjacked somebody at gunpoint in their driveway leaving for work. He’d remote-started the car to warm it up. In that car was his “go bag,” and so now these juveniles had two guns and a car. The victim gave a good description and a BOLO went out quickly. A short vehicle chase terminated with the juveniles wrecking on an embankment near a creek. The juveniles bailed on foot. They split up. One group carjacked somebody at a gas station. This resulted in a multi-jurisdictional police chase at speeds in excess of 100mph in morning traffic, endangering far too many people (and totaling the victim’s car). The other group was caught casing cars in a parking lot and, presumably, looking to carjack somebody else.

Please lock your doors. Please do not leave guns unattended in your cars. And, as noted, car thieves are unlikely to be good stewards of your property. I agree with the general suggestion to let insurance/tow companies do what they’re paid to do - frankly, it’s been my experience that unless recovered quickly, you probably do not want the car back anyway.

[curious]

alas, INAL but i might caution the notion of responding with defensive firearms as in some states, use of deadly force to protect property is a felony, additionally showing up w/said defensive firearms which are used and end up with a death/serious injury could be considered premediated in the eyes of the local prosecutor and end up costing more in legal fees than the stolen property is worth.

sorry but as pointed out...it's appropriately insured...

[Caballoflaco]

alas, INAL but i might caution the notion of responding with defensive firearms as in some states, use of deadly force to protect property is a felony, additionally showing up w/said defensive firearms which are used and end up with a death/serious injury could be considered premediated in the eyes of the local prosecutor and end up costing more in legal fees than the stolen property is worth.

sorry but as pointed out...it's appropriately insured...

Did you grow up when leaded gasoline was in widespread use?

[HCM]

alas, INAL but i might caution the notion of responding with defensive firearms as in some states, use of deadly force to protect property is a felony, additionally showing up w/said defensive firearms which are used and end up with a death/serious injury could be considered premediated in the eyes of the local prosecutor and end up costing more in legal fees than the stolen property is worth.

sorry but as pointed out...it's appropriately insured...

Sorry but:

1) You are completely missing the point of the OP’s scenario. It’s talking about a car that has been stolen and located recovered. In most places either the police meet / wait for the owner at the recovered vehicle or they are towed to a secure location by police. This usually depends on the condition of the vehicle and whether or not the owner wants it back. In the OP’s area the police do not do this (why is a whole other topic). While it might be wiser to simply call a tow company to retrieve the vehicle it would likely be an out of pocket expense if the vehicle is mot being totaled out via an insurance claim. If one had to go retrieve a vehicle under such circumstances being armed is merely a precaution especially if one normally goes armed. The purpose is to retrieve a vehicle purported to be abandoned. There is no premeditation to confront the thieves etc. However, IME such vehicles are often abandoned in areas where a random encounter requiring you to be armed is more likely than encountering those who stole the vehicle.

2) OK, I’ll be the one to spell it out. While many subtleties of communication are lost in text mediums such as forums…. what Caballoflaco is getting at is that the style and tone of your posts here and in other threads is… odd. They read like they were written by an AI bot. It’s not so much what you are saying but rather how you are saying it.

[Chuck Whitlock]

Sorry but:
2) OK, I’ll be the one to spell it out. While many subtleties of communication are lost in text mediums such as forums…. what Caballoflaco is getting at is that the style and tone of your posts here and in other threads is… odd. They read like they were written by an AI bot. It’s not so much what you are saying but rather how you are saying it.

"Get to know your audience" is sound advice around here.