Thread: HPD cracks down on Ford truck thefts

HPD cracks down on Ford truck thefts

11:35 AM CST on Friday, November 23, 2007

By Jeff McShan / 11 News



Jeff McShan's 11 News report HPD’s Auto Theft Division has been taking an aggressive approach trying to slow down thefts of Ford Trucks.

Why?

A whopping 239 of them were stolen in September alone, and if you go back five months prior that number jumps to more than 1200.

Compare that with 801 Chevy trucks and 778 Dodge trucks, and the difference is obvious.

So HPD has been tracking thieves using bait vehicles equipped with GPS systems, kill switches and cameras.

The bait vehicles -- Ford trucks – were left with their keys in the ignition.

And it works – police said one particular truck was stolen twice in the same day.

With all the technology inside the vehicles, the bad guys never had a chance.

As soon as the thief gets in the car and starts it, a silent alarm is sent to the Auto Theft Division.

Within minutes, they are able to locate and surround the suspects.

Police say some of the thieves take the license plates off the trucks and replace them with paper tags.

Many suspects in the latest round of arrests claimed they didn’t speak English, and some didn’t have proper ID.

But even if the suspects are uncooperative, hidden cameras help determine who did the deed.

Auto theft investigators from across the state recently met in South Texas to compare notes and share success stories.

Investigators said they believe some of the trucks are being stolen and taken across the border into Mexico
http://www.khou.com/news/local/houstonm ... 48650.html

With all the technology inside the vehicles, the bad guys never had a chance










Hmmmm, they may not want to be so quick to assume that. On yesterday's news there was a story about how theives actually managed to get away with a bait car belonging to one of the local police depts.

How, exactly, I'm not sure. But they did. It was later found abandoned in an apartment complex.

Investigators said they believe some of the trucks are being stolen and taken across the border into Mexico

You think?

No, why would they take them to Mexico - I thought everyone over there was starving and poor. How can they afford to buy those vehicles?

You know, I just wonder if some of these shiny new vehicles the illegals are driving might actually be stolen vehicles that have been taken across the border and driven back?

Think about it, if the license plates don't show stolen (if any LE cared to check), then how would they know it was stolen, unless they checked the actually number of the vehicle and how often do police do that?

So maybe wonder how many stolen vehicles they would find if they checked that number - VIN - isn't it called, against the stolen list when they stop an illegal - actually when they check any car?