Theft From Automobiles - A Mass Offense of Our Times (From Preventable Offenses, Volume 2 - Theft of and From Motor Vehicles, P 127-154, 1977 - See NCJ-78972)

• NCJ Number: 78975
• Author(s): R Ondruch
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 28 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: German
• Country: West Germany (Former)

Annotation

Information on the frequency of thefts from cars, offenders, their methods of operation, their methods for disposing of stolen goods, and police prevention methods are described.

Abstract

Thefts from motor vehicles are by far the most common offense in West Germany and have risen from 93,541 in 1963 to an absolute peak of 300,494 cases for the year of 1975. Clearance rates for such thefts have never been greater than one-third, and losses from such thefts run around 100 million German marks a year. Offenders are largely (78.1 percent) under 25 years old, come from the lower classes, have little education or vocational training, and have grown up in disrupted families. Youthful offenders may be bungling amateurs, clever young criminals who live exclusively from what they earn stealing from cars, or occasional thieves who steal only when the risk is low. Many thefts occur because cars containing valuables are left unlocked. But even when cars are locked, thieves can gain ready access by breaking windows, slitting open the top of the car, using hooks, loops or steel bands to pull open locks, popping open the lock with a screw driver, or by using a skeleton key. Trunks may be opened in similar fashion. The most successful thieves steal by plan and sell the desirable articles to dealers who can resell goods through their own network. Methods of combatting thefts from automobiles include specific searches for repeating offenders by specially trained officers, application of arrest laws to allow searching of suspects' residences, adequate description of stolen goods and of evidence, special training of officers, and constant checks of pawnshops and dealers. Auto thefts are prevented by information campaigns, placement of warning posters in public parking areas, and confiscation of valuables from unlocked automobiles for safekeeping. Special efforts of these types in Kassel have raised clearance rates for thefts from autos from 9.6 to 32.0 percent. The main thrust of future preventive efforts must be to encourage adequate security measures by automobile owners. A graph showing trends in thefts from autos is supplied.