New Approach For Car Thieves

Protecting one's car is a full time job for carexpected to increase depending on the demand in
owners since one never knows when car thievesthe market. "So, it's making it more attractive for
will strike. Although new car protection technologypeople to steal cars," added Wadkins.
has been developed, the number of stolen carsSheriff 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 tohe suggests that car owners should take care of
attract the attention of car thieves, a new trendtheir vehicles since vehicle theft not only affects
in car stealing has appeared. It has been reportedthem but others as well. He said that common
that auto thieves will not only go for expensivesense 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 scrapdoor and not leaving the keys is a smart way to
metal. This means that any car would do for carprotect one's vehicle.
thieves since they only need the metals used inJones said that most of the cars stolen are
cars. In Columbus, Georgia, Lee County Sheriffcrimes of opportunity which means thieves only
Jay Jones said that the price of scrap metal hassteal 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 stolendoor and a key in the ignition is an open invitation
vehicles are those known to be expensive like theto car thieves. Jones also suggested that car
Cadillac Escalade and the BMW M Roadster, thealarms are good investments since they can
new trend puts low-end cars at risk too. Autodeter car thieves. For car thieves, it does not
parts such as the hood, rims, side mirrors andmatter how expensive the car is as long as they
other components can be easily detached bydo not get caught. This means that a visible
expert car thieves. This are then sold at scrapwarning that a vehicle is equipped with a car alarm
metal shops. Car thieves also take the whole carmight discourage car thieves. "Thieves are not
and not only parts of it if given the chance. Thatgoing to waste a lot of time," says Jones. "In
is why car owners are being warned to protectmany cases, they're going to move on
their vehicles. The price that these scrap metalsomewhere where they can find - again - a
fetch in the market had grown this year. "A lot ofvehicle that's more of an opportunity to take
these vehicles that would not bring much moneybased on an unlocked door or a key being left in
at all in the scrap market are now bringing pricesit or valuables there," he added.
two, three and four times than they did inJones 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 businessconsidered 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 Carup to 20 years in prison, simply for a few
Crushing and Recycling of Alabama, has this tohundred dollars on a scrap vehicle. So I would say,
say: "Well, with the market like it is, peoplejust automatically, it's not worth it in any shape or
stealing radios, the wheels off of cars, theform of the imagination." It has been known that
converters off of them, there's a lot of extraamong the auto parts taken by car thieves are
money that hasn't been out there that's out therethe most vulnerable and exposed parts such as a
now." Wadkins said that an average car wouldFlowmaster exhaust pipe.
fetch a price of $150 to $200. That estimate is