Bait Cars to Catch Thieves

[TulsaFan-inTexas]

Do they have a similar program in Tulsa? The one in Fort Worth has been taking car thieves "off the market" at a rapid rate. Car theft has gone down 20% in our area.

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa070420_lj_carbait.2b197208.html

Video here.

http://www.wfaa.com/video/?nvid=137572&shu=1

[RLitterell]

I love this, I moved from Euless (where I have spent most of my adult life) to Memphis 5 years ago. Memphis is one of the highest car theft areas in the country. I wish the would do that here. In fact I am emailing this story to the County Sheriff

[TulsaFan-inTexas]

Wow, you are right about auto thefts in Memphis being high. It's a city of similar size to FW, yet the auto thefts are double what they are here.

[RLitterell]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaFan-inTexas

Wow, you are right about auto thefts in Memphis being high. It's a city of similar size to FW, yet the auto thefts are double what they are here.

Auto insurance rates are double as well. I am suprised these morons in Memphis have not tried the "bait car" trick. I miss Texas. I miss Tulsa too but I must admit, I do love the Lone Star State. "Ask me what I like about Texas" GPN
Have a great day down there, I am so jealous of you.

[patric]

...And look where they park them to attract thieves:


"My car had a giant target on it," he said. Both times, it was parked beneath a light on the same Arlington County street, and both times, someone used a sharp object to pry the driver's door and rip open the steering column.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/12/AR2006121201695.html


'Car sting yields 5 alleged prowlers; Bellevue police link men to 50 cases'  by Michael Ko, Seattle Times staff reporter

Looking for more creative ways to deal with the regions most prevalent
crime, the Bellevue Police Department planted a "bait car" at Factoria
Cinemas over the weekend and stung five car prowlers.
In fact, the bait car was parked directly under a street lamp, with a dummy purse in full view.
"We made the car look attractive, but not more than the average car looks," Harndon said. "Car prowling is an opportunistic crime ..."
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis/web/vortex/display?slug=carprowl10m0&date=20010410

[Johnboy976]

I think Dateline, or 60 Minutes, or some television news magazine got the rights to display the videos from these stings on national television. The cars would shut off after a certain distance, the criminals would be dumb-founded, and a few would, at their arrest, claim that the car was their friend's, sibling's or girlfriend's car. Ahhhhhh, the wonder of it all.