NCJ Number
126175
Date Published
1989
Length
101 pages
Annotation
This report is a future study of technology that will enable law enforcement officers in Los Angeles to locate stolen motor vehicles and will provide a strategic plan for adapting existing technology to law enforcement and a transition management plan.
Abstract
Nearly half of the 250,000 motor vehicle thefts, most often property thefts that occur annually in California take place in Los Angeles. There has been an increasing trend for criminals to take vehicles by force and use them in violent crimes. The research includes a review of tracking technology for aviation and navigation, satellite tracking, and law enforcement and private industry tracking applications as well as a discussion of an operating stolen vehicles recovery network. The rate of motor vehicle theft, the consumer view of possible theft, the level of commitment to the problem, the level of community involvement, and the rate of recovery are identified as the five trends affecting the future of a stolen vehicle recovery network in Los Angeles. Three scenarios provide an exploratory look, a normative outlook, and a hypothetical future of the motor vehicle theft problem. The strategic plan seeks to implement a recovery network using radio direction finding equipment and eventually satellite technology. The components of the plan include an environmental analysis, identification of law enforcement capabilities and resources, and identification of outside groups and individuals. Law enforcement mission statements have led to the development of three policy alternatives; they are described in terms of their advantages and drawbacks. The transition plan, designed to reduce anxiety and uncertainty as the strategic plan takes effect, contains a responsibility chart listing key decisions and identifying the role of individuals and groups in the process. 12 figures, 19 notes, 30 references, and 3 appendixes