Auto Theft/Burglary Prevention Tips:
What you can do to help prevent your vehicle from being stolen:
- Never leave your car running and unattended, even to warm it up in the morning or to dash into a business.
- Never leave your keys in the car or ignition, even inside a locked garage.
- Always roll up your windows and lock the car, even if it is in front of your own home.
- Never leave valuables in plain view, even if your car is locked. Put them in the trunk, out of sight.
- If you are shopping, conceal your purchases in the trunk and then re-park if you are going back into another store.
- Install an alarm or an auto theft deterrent such as a club, collar or J-bar.
- Always park in a highly traversed, well lighted area, if possible.
- Report suspicious activity. If you see a suspicious person who appears to be looking in vehicles, or loitering in a neighborhood or parking lot for no legitimate reason, call 327-7111.
Auto Theft Videos - Auto Theft PSA -1
- Auto Theft PSA -2
Auto Theft Detail
The Auto Theft Detail is responsible for vehicle theft investigations. This includes the theft of automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, boats and watercraft and other type of vehicles, considered property, such as construction vehicles. The detail also investigates those thefts from motor vehicles.
The detail investigates vehicle theft and auto burglary cases and prepares those reported crimes for criminal filings with the District Attorney’s Office. A majority of the detail’s workload is generated by uniform patrol division arrests or crimes reported to patrol officers.
The detail proactively combats theft of/from vehicles by the use of crime analysis to look for developing crime trends and various covert operations to apprehend those that engage in this type of criminal activity. A vast majority of those arrested for vehicle theft or auto burglary are repeat offenders.
Auto Theft Detectives have specific skills for the identification of vehicles that have been altered by suspects. Theft suspects oftentimes change the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) in order to change the identity of the vehicle and conceal the fact that the vehicle is stolen.
