| Protecting one's car is a full time job for car | | | | expected to increase depending on the demand in |
| owners since one never knows when car thieves | | | | the market. "So, it's making it more attractive for |
| will strike. Although new car protection technology | | | | people to steal cars," added Wadkins. |
| has been developed, the number of stolen cars | | | | Sheriff Jones said that thieves can steal a car or |
| still increases. | | | | a part of it in a short span of time. That is why |
| While high-end vehicles have been known to | | | | he suggests that car owners should take care of |
| attract the attention of car thieves, a new trend | | | | their vehicles since vehicle theft not only affects |
| in car stealing has appeared. It has been reported | | | | them but others as well. He said that common |
| that auto thieves will not only go for expensive | | | | sense is a good thing to start with in preventing |
| cars but they do also pick any other car as well. | | | | car thieves from stealing vehicles. Locking a car's |
| The reason for this is that they are selling scrap | | | | door and not leaving the keys is a smart way to |
| metal. This means that any car would do for car | | | | protect one's vehicle. |
| thieves since they only need the metals used in | | | | Jones said that most of the cars stolen are |
| cars. In Columbus, Georgia, Lee County Sheriff | | | | crimes of opportunity which means thieves only |
| Jay Jones said that the price of scrap metal has | | | | steal cars if they see a chance that they can do |
| increased thus thieves are capitalizing on it. | | | | it with as much ease as possible. An open car |
| While it has been reported that the most stolen | | | | door and a key in the ignition is an open invitation |
| vehicles are those known to be expensive like the | | | | to car thieves. Jones also suggested that car |
| Cadillac Escalade and the BMW M Roadster, the | | | | alarms are good investments since they can |
| new trend puts low-end cars at risk too. Auto | | | | deter car thieves. For car thieves, it does not |
| parts such as the hood, rims, side mirrors and | | | | matter how expensive the car is as long as they |
| other components can be easily detached by | | | | do not get caught. This means that a visible |
| expert car thieves. This are then sold at scrap | | | | warning that a vehicle is equipped with a car alarm |
| metal shops. Car thieves also take the whole car | | | | might discourage car thieves. "Thieves are not |
| and not only parts of it if given the chance. That | | | | going to waste a lot of time," says Jones. "In |
| is why car owners are being warned to protect | | | | many cases, they're going to move on |
| their vehicles. The price that these scrap metal | | | | somewhere where they can find - again - a |
| fetch in the market had grown this year. "A lot of | | | | vehicle that's more of an opportunity to take |
| these vehicles that would not bring much money | | | | based on an unlocked door or a key being left in |
| at all in the scrap market are now bringing prices | | | | it or valuables there," he added. |
| two, three and four times than they did in | | | | Jones explained the crime being committed by |
| previous years," says Jones. | | | | those who go after scrap metal from cars. "It's |
| Even those who are in the scrap metal business | | | | considered a theft in the first degree," Jones said. |
| are now being aware of the new trend in car | | | | "Now, that's a class B felony that could land you |
| stealing. Ronnie Wadkins, the owner of the Car | | | | up to 20 years in prison, simply for a few |
| Crushing and Recycling of Alabama, has this to | | | | hundred dollars on a scrap vehicle. So I would say, |
| say: "Well, with the market like it is, people | | | | just automatically, it's not worth it in any shape or |
| stealing radios, the wheels off of cars, the | | | | form of the imagination." It has been known that |
| converters off of them, there's a lot of extra | | | | among the auto parts taken by car thieves are |
| money that hasn't been out there that's out there | | | | the most vulnerable and exposed parts such as a |
| now." Wadkins said that an average car would | | | | Flowmaster exhaust pipe. |
| fetch a price of $150 to $200. That estimate is | | | | |