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Watch your car closely today
Auto thefts accelerate on New Year’s holiday
New Year’s Day is traditionally the leading holiday for vehicle thefts, but local officials say there are plenty of ways to keep vehicles secure today and the rest of the year.
In 2009, 2,760 vehicles were reported stolen on New Year's Day and 2,189 on New Year’s Eve in the U.S., according to reports from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The bureau is a nonprofit organization based in Illinois that researches and tries to prevent insurance fraud and vehicle theft.
Overall, however, vehicle thefts have been decreasing for the last six years, and preliminary 2010 FBI theft data point to a seventh year of decline.
Locally, half a dozen cars were reported stolen in Boardman last month after owners left them running in driveways to warm up.
Detective Sgt. Glenn Patton of Boardman said the trend of stolen cars “goes in spurts... but we do tend to see an increase as the weather cools off.”
He added that statistics such as those released by the NICB can be skewed.
“We do get false reports about stolen autos,” Patton said. “Some do it because they were involved in a chargeable accident and/or to avoid a DUI.”
Capt. Guy Simeone said Niles police officers have noticed a decrease in auto thefts at the Eastwood Mall, but that overall holiday thefts have increased.
“Holiday thefts have gone up unbelievably because they [thieves] know packages will be in the car, even away from the shopping centers, with people parking in their driveway,” he said.
Garry Bonanno researches auto theft for his job as executive director of Law Enforcement and Government Affairs for Winner International The Club Brand Security.
There are many reasons the New Year’s holiday is a prime time for auto thefts, he said.
“Opportunities are everywhere,” Bonanno said. “People are celebrating and lackadaisical. They leave stuff in the car, leave it unlocked and think “I’m only running in to get something quick.””
Simeone said people should use common sense, such as always locking their vehicles and removing all ignition keys.
“When you lock the car, use the remote. If you use that, it sets that alarm and the lights flash,” he said. “The other thing is... to put valuables in the trunk out of sight.”
Capt. Bryan Kloss of Austintown police had similar advice and emphasized locking the vehicles. Although Austintown has not had an uptick in stolen cars or thefts from vehicles during the holidays, he said about six months ago, a group of people would pull on car doors and ransack them for valuables.
“Six or seven months ago, it was a severe problem. It was happening every night and in different areas, but after arrests were made, they’ve pretty much come to a stop,” he said.
Any type of anti-theft device, such as a kill switch or The Club, could help deter criminals, Patton said.
“Sometimes car thieves will bypass those because there”s more time required to steal an item. It doesn’t make it impossible to steal, but it adds to the difficulty. Usually they want to get the car as quickly as they can,” he said.
It only takes a “good thief” a minute and half to about three minutes to steal a car, Patton added.