49 Crime Tracker: New legislation could help auto theft trend
Originally published 11:27 a.m., February 28, 2008
Updated 06:14 p.m., February 28, 2008
Auto thefts are down significantly in the Capital City, but now is no time to let your guard down, police said.
Our 49 News Crime Tracker found auto thefts are down 32 percent in Topeka so far this year, compared to last year. Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 26, 2008, there were 82 stolen cars reported to police; 131 were reported during the same time period last year.
Police credit several factors for the decrease.
Related document
Read the full text of the legislation that would strengthen the punishment for thieves who steal rented or loaned cars. HB 2707 (.pdf).
“People in the public are making a concerted effort,” said Topeka Police Capt. Ron Brown. “As a result of that, we’re seeing pretty significant crime reductions.”
Police have asked Topekans over and over to do their part, by not leaving keys in their cars, not leaving their cars running unattended and by reporting suspicious activity.
Officers have been conducting several operations to reduce the number of auto thefts, Brown said, including putting pressure on the bad guys.
Theft prevention tips:
Here's some things you can do to help prevent auto theft:
- Never leave your motor running when unattended. This is one of the easiest ways to lose your vehicle, i.e. warm-up thefts on cold mornings, a quick trip into the store, etc.
- Don't loan your car to a stranger or casual acquaintance. Good intentions can result in the theft of your vehicle.
- If you have a garage, use it, and remove the key! If you don't have a garage, park in a driveway instead of the street if possible.
- Steering wheel or steering-column collar locks make visible deterrents, as well as mechanical challenges.
- Never leave a spare key in the vehicle and don’t leave the title in the car.
- Keep valuables out of sight, i.e. cellular phones, pagers, backpacks, purses, CDs, valuable clothing, etc. Valuables in plain view are an open invitation for thieves.
Source: Topeka Police Department
“It’s doing surveillance on individuals, it’s knowing where they are and what they’re doing and it’s also by arresting those individuals that we know to be involved,” he said.
Police have worked with car dealerships in Topeka, encouraging them not to leave the keys in the cars on their lots.
Police also launched their Hot Wheels program last October. Each week they feature one stolen car, by reaching out to the public for help. Since the program’s debut, police said they’ve recovered 11 of the 18 stolen cars featured.
Last night police found the most recent Hot Wheels car, a 1995 green Jeep Grand Cherokee, at 12th and Fillmore. The Jeep, which belonged to Dave Warnow, was stolen Feb. 20 from 2940 SW Gage.
“When your vehicle's stolen, or anything's stolen, it's just not a very good feeling at all, especially when you know you could've done something to prevent that, like taking the keys out and not leaving it open,” Warnow said.
Warnow said he left his Jeep running while he was doing laundry at his apartment complex.
A measure that’s passing through the legislature could also help decrease the number of auto thefts, said Brown.
Today state representatives voted to send House Bill 2707 to the senate. It would strengthen the punishment for thieves who steal rented or loaned cars.
Brown said sometimes drug dealers will use a stolen car or rental car to conduct their business, so if they get caught their personal car won't be taken from them.
With the weather starting to warm up, Brown said he expects auto thieves and other crooks to become more active.
“Even bad guys like to go inside, they don’t like to get cold,” he said.
He reminds Topekans to be vigilant and not to let their guard down.
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