In 1987, 1.6 million motor vehicles were stolen in the United States-one every 20 seconds. If current trends continue, experts predict annual vehicle thefts could exceed two million by the end of the decade.
Vehicle theft is a common phenomenon, which has a direct impact on over four million victims a year. The cost is astonishing.
Many police officials blame professional thieves for the high volume of thefts. It is a major money-maker for organized crime. Typically, stolen cars are taken to pieces and the parts sold to individuals. But as many as 200.000 cars are smuggled out of the country every year. Most go to Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.
Only about 15 percent car thefts result in an arrest, because few police departments routinely conduct in-depth auto-investigations. When thieves are arrested, judges will often sentence them to probation , not immediately put them in prison because the prisons are overcrowded with violent criminals.
One exception is a Michigan program that assigns 92 police officers to work full-time on the states 65,000 car theft cases a year. Since 1986, when the effort began, the states auto-theft rate has fallen from second in the nation to ninth.
How can you protect your car? If you live in a high-theft area or drive an expensive model, consider a security system. It may cost anywhere from $25 to $1,000. Some systems engage automatically - simply removing the key disables the fuel pump the fuel pump and the starter. When cars are equipped with such systems, thefts may drop by one-third. In some states, you may be able to sue a device that transmits radio signals, allowing stolen cars to be tracked by police.
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