Prevention Devices

Recently a study was conducted in the Baltimore Metro area, which has experienced the highest vehicle theft rate in Maryland. The study was done by the Baltimore Regional Auto Theft Task Force and sponsored by the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council. The purpose was to study 1000 stolen and recovered vehicles to look for trends in the method of theft, type of vehicle stolen, use of theft prevention devices etc. This study was vital to the cause of theft prevention because it proved what we had long suspected, that is that people don't do enough to protect their cars from auto theft.
 

The most important figures which came from this study are;

• 95% of the victims of auto theft did not have a theft prevention device;
• 63% had one or more doors unlocked at the time of theft;
• 24% had keys in the ignition or in the car at the time of theft.

A review of our own auto theft trends in Montgomery County revealed the same result.

Auto theft is a crime of opportunity in our area and the best way to stop a thief is to always lock your doors, never leave your keys in the car, and use a anti-theft prevention device.

The devices profiled below are for informational purposes and are provided as illustrative examples only. Any comments or questions should be directed to the Centralized Auto Theft Section.

1st Layer of Protection (Common Sense):

1. Lock all doors upon exiting the car. Remember, 63% of victims above did not.
2. Take the keys with you. DO NOT hide them in the vehicle.  24% above did not.
3. Remove all valuables from inside the car. When you step out and close the door, attempt to think like a thief for a moment. Are there any valuables clearly visible inside the car that make it an attractive prospect for entry and theft?
4. Keep the registration in your wallet or purse rather than in the vehicle. Thieves can use this for re-title activities or to represent themselves as you!
5. Park in a well lit and populated area. Thieves crave concealment, so don't make it easy for them to target you.
6. Locking steering wheel - Most vehicles have steering wheel locks when the wheel is turned to a certain degree.

2nd Layer of Protection:(Use an Anti-Theft Device)

Unfortunately most vehicles do not come manufactured with reliable ant-theft devices. Therefore it is left to the buyer to fill this protection gap. The following devices are strongly recommended by the Montgomery County Department of Police.

• Use a visible anti-theft device (about $30-50). Popular devices in this category are similar to the steering lock device pictured above. They are effective because they lock the steering wheel in a fixed position so the vehicle cannot be driven. You may have seen the television news program last year that did a story on how these devices can be defeated. The program demonstrated how the device can be defeated by either punching out the lock or cutting the steering wheel to remove it. You can prevent this from happening by putting the steering lock device on backwards. Place the device on the inside of the steering wheel with the lock facing the dashboard. This way the lock cannot be defeated. You will have to reach around the steering wheel to unlock the device but this is easy after you do it a few times.

  To prevent your steering wheel from being cut, use a shield attachment which is an add-on to the steering wheel locking device. One final note, 95% of our auto theft victims did not have a theft prevention device in or attached to the vehicle. Thieves want the path of least resistance and two or three of those cars have one or more doors unlocked and the perhaps the keys were left in the vehicle. Those are the cars that will be stolen. These devices can be purchased at most automotive and retail stores.

  ALWAYS USE YOUR DEVICE!!

• Glass Etching provides an affordable means for discouraging thieves from stealing your vehicle. Glass etching involves engraving all the windows of a vehicle with that vehicles VIN number. The idea here is that thieves won't steal a vehicle that has been etched because all of the etched glass must be replaced with new glass, which is expensive and time consuming. This is especially true in cases where thieves seek to re-plate (the replacement of a stolen vehicles correct VIN number with fraudulent VIN numbers in order to re-title and sell the vehicle) the car or send it to a chop shop. A chop shop won't buy marked vehicles stolen by an amateur or careless "pro". Vehicle theft is a business to them and an etched vehicle is just not worth the risk.

  In a three year study, Kentucky State Police etched over 125,000 vehicles. Only three of the vehicles were stolen. The Hanover Insurance Company etching program went from a 50% recovery rate before implementation, to over a 90% recovery rate. A Connecticut company etched over 225,000 vehicles over a 5 year period and only 57 vehicles were declared a total loss due to theft. This is a passive security device that won't malfunction and is an effective, inexpensive way to stop the professional thief.

  Call the Centralized Auto Theft Section's office at 240-773-6370 for more information.

3rd Layer of Protection:

1. Alarm systems can be effective, but unfortunately are often ignored ($100-$900). There are many different types of alarm systems available to the consumer. The basic alarm systems are affordable and are designed go off if someone opens a door or even touches the car while the system is activated. They often come with a dash board mounted LED warning light to notify would be thieves that the car is equipped with an alarm system.

    

2. Electronic keys. An Electronic key is one that is equipped with a small computer chip which interfaces with a second chip in the ignition mechanism. The second chip then sends a signal to a third chip located in the vehicles main computer panel which controls the electrical system and the flow of fuel to the engine. If the proper key is not inserted in the ignition, the vehicle simply will not start. It doesn't matter if the ignition is punched out or if the steering column is cracked. The car is completely disabled without the key. The only way to take a vehicle equipped with this system is to pull it onto a flat bed truck and drive it away. The system can be defeated but it is a very time consuming process which requires a level of sophistication not found in your typical auto thief. Most new cars are now equipped with the "chip" in the key. Ask the dealership about this before you purchase your new vehicle. If they inform you that you must come to the dealership to get a key made, then your keys are equipped with the "chip".

    

3. Kill switches or Ignition interrupt. Our strongest recommendation is that all vehicles be protected by an ignition interrupt device. By using a hidden switch or special key, Ignition interrupt devices prevent almost all auto theft. We strongly urge you to have one installed. Kill switches, vehicle immobilizers, interrupts, and fuse cut-off devices can be purchased from private vehicle security shops. Private firms offer a wide array of anti theft systems and some are very sophisticated. An electronic key system can be installed on any vehicle and if you wish greater protection a wide array of options are available through these vehicle security firms. Listed below are some of the options that may be available:
   
   • Starter /Fuel Interrupt- requires special key or keypad to start car.
   • Remote engine starter/disabler-owner can perform functions with hand held remote.
   • Ignition-controlled door lock safety system-doors lock/unlock automatically.
   • Programmable passive arming 30 sec after last door is closed.
   • Remote keyless entry.
   • Built-in perimeter sensing.
   • Paging capabilities to notify you if alarm in activated.
   • Digital keypad starter disable.
   • Smart Valet capabilities allow valet to park vehicle without learning secret codes.
   • Tilt sensors.

4th Layer of Protection:

• Stolen vehicle recovery systems are also effective also. New technologies are being applied in products for vehicle recovery via tracking systems. One of the current commercial products is the Lojack Tracking System. It is a stolen vehicle locator system which allows police to find stolen vehicles equipped with the Lojack transmitter. This transmitter is hidden within the vehicle and is activated once the vehicle is reported stolen to the police. The police department enters the vehicle information into the NCIC computer system and Lojack accesses the information through their direct link. The electronic tracking units within police cars have an extended radius for tracking a Lojack vehicle. Once the tracking unit has locked onto a Lojack vehicle, it displays a numeric code which communications personnel use to determine the stolen vehicle information. That information is then broadcast to all units. Police officers in vehicles equipped with tracking receivers, knowing the description of the vehicle, then work to find its location. Some companies, such as Lojack, guarantee that your car will be recovered within 24 hrs or you will receive a full refund for the cost of the unit. Lojack has been in the Washington area since 1994 and currently reports a 95% recovery rate with an average three hour recovery time in this area. Unfortunately, this tracking unit is not a prevention device as there are no stickers that are placed on the vehicle to warn would be thieves that the car is equipped with the device. Rather, Lojack is advertised as a stolen vehicle recovery device. Lojack can be purchased only through authorized car dealerships and directly from Lojack. You can visit the the Lojack website at www.lojack.com .

• GPS or Ground Positioning Satellite systems are an emerging technology that allow monitoring companies and/or the police to pin-point the exact location of your vehicle at all times (about $1900). This technology can give the monitoring company and/or the police the ability to control most electrical aspects of your vehicle. First, the unit is installed in the prospective customers vehicle. A standard cellular telephone mount and headset are installed. When the owner starts the car he/she must enter a 4 digit code into the cellular telephone within three minutes. If that code is not entered, the central monitoring center (much like a home alarm) will place a call to the vehicle to verify who is driving the car. If the proper password or code is not given to the monitoring center, then action will be taken based on the predefined wishes of the owner. The central monitoring center may stop the engine, lock the doors, sound the horn, cause the lights to flash and notify the police. Typically, the owner predefines that the engine will be stopped at a speed of 10 mph or less and the police will be notified as to the exact location of the vehicle for further investigation.

  Some other features that these systems offer include: free 24hr road service for directions, breakdowns, accidents etc, panic button that can be secretly activated by the driver in the event of a medical emergency or other emergency, monitoring center can unlock your car if you have locked your keys in the car or turn your lights off if you have left them on and your battery charge is getting low; insurance discounts of up to 30% for purchasing this system; coverage includes all 50 states, Alaska and Hawaii. This is an emerging technology and as with cell phones and computers, the cost will drop over the next three to five years. Eventually this system will likely come as standard equipment with most cars (Cadillac North Star). Three companies currently offering this system are ATX Research Inc., Mobi TEL Inc., and Direct Electronics Inc.

The Montgomery County Department of Police does not endorse any manufacturer of the products described in this web site. References to brand names and manufacturers are for informational purposes only. The Montgomery County Department of Police does not guarantee the performance of any of the products, brand names or companies mentioned above.