Stolen Vehicles - CCSO is asking for help

[tlfreek]

I sliced this off of Next-door as my wife and I were talking about it this morning. I am a bit taken back by the highlighted section below. Keep in mind I completely understand about leaving a car running unattended (I actually think it might be illegal) , but if I read this right I could steal a car and use it knowing I will never be pursued by police.

why would anyone ever do things the hard way like get a job and pay for things?

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CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SEEKS PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IN CURBING AUTO THEFTS

News Release from Clark Co. Sheriff's Office Posted FlashAlert: January 20th, 2022 12:18 PM

Clark County Sheriff's Office Patrol Division continues to see a significant increase in the number of auto thefts within our jurisdiction. We are requesting the public's assistance in helping us reduce what is often a very preventable crime.

In 2020 there were 581 vehicles reported stolen to the Sheriff's Office. In 2021 that total number increased to 801 stolen vehicles.

To illustrate how prevalent this crime has become, we tracked auto theft over a 19-day period in one single area of the county, the Orchards area. From January 1st to January 19th, 2022, there were 23 vehicles stolen from the Orchards area alone. These numbers only include auto thefts reported to Clark County Sheriff which occurred in and around Orchards, and not those reported to the Vancouver Police Department, which essentially covers any area south of Fourth Plain Blvd. Of these 23 vehicles, five were left running or warming up in driveways or parking lots.

On January 20th, 2022, during a 30-minute period of our morning rush hour, Patrol Deputies located 19 vehicles left running unattended in the Sifton and Orchards neighborhoods alone. Deputies spoke with some of the owners, to help educate them on the dangers of leaving a vehicle warming up unattended.

It is important for the public to know in most cases, our deputies are not authorized to pursue occupied stolen vehicles or use intervention techniques to recover occupied stolen vehicles. Therefore, most stolen vehicles are not recovered unless they are abandoned by the suspect. In many cases, these stolen vehicles are kept for extended periods of times by criminals and then used to commit further crime.

The Sheriff's Office is asking the public to be more vigilant about their vehicles by not leaving them running or warming up unattended. Set car alarms, do not leave keys in vehicles, block vehicles in at night or keep them in a garage if possible. Please be aware that criminals are often roaming both on foot and in vehicles during the morning hours, specifically looking for targets of opportunity. Don't be an easy target for a criminal; keep your vehicle locked and warm it up under your supervision. If you have any information regarding the location of a stolen vehicle or suspects involved, please notify the Clark County Sheriff's Office, or call 311 to report.

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[Alexx1401]

There is a VERY simple cure for the out of control auto thefts. Voters just so far are not willing to do it, so we all just pay for it with ever increasing insurance

 

[Dungannon]

If only the thieves would steal the vehicles of legislators. They need to experience the anger, frustration and higher rates of mere mortals to get a clue.

 

[Alexx1401]

If only the thieves would steal the vehicles of legislators. They need to experience the anger, frustration and higher rates of mere mortals to get a clue.

Law makers exempt themselves from everything they pile on the voters. They do not have to follow the rules everyone else does. They also do not allow "Homeless scum" to live in front of their homes. You really can't blame the law makers though. They only do this because people keep voting for them even after they hose them. So we get the government we deserve.

 

[tlfreek]

yes, I had a vehicle stolen 17 or so years ago. the thieves did a good job destroying the interior, steering column etc. I got to pay towing fees and the cost to get it out of the impound yard only to then sell it for a loss. it was a commuter car that just had liability insurance on it.

the funny thing is the cops found the car abandoned some 9 or so hours after i reported it stolen, but would not let me retrieve it from where it was found so I wouldnt have to pay towing/recovery fees. I understand, but it just seems everything leans against the victim.

 

[Hemlock]

I may be mistaken, but it isn't illegal to leave your vehicle running unattended in your driveway.
But, it is illegal to do so on a public street or any parking lot.

 

[Alexx1401]

I may be mistaken, but it isn't illegal to leave your vehicle running unattended in your driveway.
But, it is illegal to do so on a public street or any parking lot.

Not sure here. I know years ago one city here was citing people for leaving their car Unsecured and running at their home. Reason was they would start it, go inside to have coffee while it warmed up. Scum would drive around looking and have one jump in and take off. Police were sick of the calls. Don't know if they kept doing it here as I have not heard about it in a long time. Every winter though still hear a lot of cars stolen this way. Again there is a simple solution but the voters so far do not want it.

 

[Jay Walk]

If I am driving a stolen vehicle and a cop is behind me at a light, runs my plate and sees it is a stolen vehicle then I can just drive off because they are not allowed to pursue?

Did I read that correctly?

 

[tlfreek]

If I am driving a stolen vehicle and a cop is behind me at a light, runs my plate and sees it is a stolen vehicle then I can just drive off because they are not allowed to pursue?

Did I read that correctly?

yeah and there's the grind. that my friend is a free car until you are done destroying it. and then you steal another one.

 

[Flopsweat]

yes, I had a vehicle stolen 17 or so years ago. the thieves did a good job destroying the interior, steering column etc. I got to pay towing fees and the cost to get it out of the impound yard only to then sell it for a loss. it was a commuter car that just had liability insurance on it.

the funny thing is the cops found the car abandoned some 9 or so hours after i reported it stolen, but would not let me retrieve it from where it was found so I wouldnt have to pay towing/recovery fees. I understand, but it just seems everything leans against the victim.

Several years before your experience, I showed up at a friend's house and asked him where his car was. He told me it was recently stolen. I said that I thought I saw it parked by the butcher shop a few blocks from there. We checked it out and it was his car. He hopped in it, fired it up and drove it home. There were no signs of break-in. It was as if they had a key or something. He had only on-street parking, so I suggested he watch it while I drove to Pep Boys and bought The Club. Handed it to him and said Happy Birthday now put it on the damn car.

Meantime, he had called the local PD and told them he'd found the car that he had reported stolen. They said don't go near it, we'll go check it out. He said too late, I already brought it home. They said you could have been pulled over, felony stop, guns drawn on you and so forth. The thing is, that city had a notoriously low recovery rate on stolen cars and slow response times on calls.

 

[Alexx1401]

If I am driving a stolen vehicle and a cop is behind me at a light, runs my plate and sees it is a stolen vehicle then I can just drive off because they are not allowed to pursue?

Did I read that correctly?

Yes sadly in many jurisdictions that is how it works now. Here most of the PD's will shut down the chase the second the car runs a light or stop sign. It does add another felony to the person driving if they are caught for all the good that does. Again though this is what the voters said they wanted. So they got what they asked for.

 

[FriendOfEvanWilliams]

I had my car stolen a couple months back, and during my search I found a very robust and active community of people who drive around to chop shops and dump sites, checking VINs and posting photos so people can identify their stolen vehicles. The police could do something if they wanted to; they know all about these open air chop shops and one single officer with a cell phone could walk through checking VINs and find literally hundreds of stolen cars in a couple hours. Unfortunately there are a lot more pressing issues for them to deal with and they don't seem to be able to spare the manpower.


Luckily my car is 38 years old, worthless for parts, and worth maybe $500 to the right buyer. It's a very unique car with less than ten in all of Portland, so I made paper flyers and handed them out to every cop I saw for a week. Eventually a cop with a flyer in his car spotted it at a fleabag motel on NE Sandy Blvd 8 days after it was stolen, and I got it back in better shape than when it was taken.

 

[Alexx1401]

I had my car stolen a couple months back, and during my search I found a very robust and active community of people who drive around to chop shops and dump sites, checking VINs and posting photos so people can identify their stolen vehicles. The police could do something if they wanted to; they know all about these open air chop shops and one single officer with a cell phone could walk through checking VINs and find literally hundreds of stolen cars in a couple hours. Unfortunately there are a lot more pressing issues for them to deal with and they don't seem to be able to spare the manpower.


Luckily my car is 38 years old, worthless for parts, and worth maybe $500 to the right buyer. It's a very unique car with less than ten in all of Portland, so I made paper flyers and handed them out to every cop I saw for a week. Eventually a cop with a flyer in his car spotted it at a fleabag motel on NE Sandy Blvd 8 days after it was stolen, and I got it back in better shape than when it was taken.

Sadly the reason more Police power is not used is it would be a waste of their time. Voters have decided they do not want to hold the scum accountable for this crime. So Police don't want to spend a lot of time on it just to watch those they arrest walking the street the same day they are picked up. Until the voters decide they want this changed it will sadly not change.

 

[tlfreek]

i just googled average price of a new car - boom 45K. this may not be what the thieves are stealing, but there is serious money rolling around the streets and in the context of this thread....stolen. we get screwed multiple ways. thieves get away and not prosecuted, they are rewarded with the parts they separate from the vehicle and in the end who pays? we do with higher insurance premiums and if your the victim, like several in this thread, out of pocket expense, inconvenience, violated etc. This has to stop - I don't blame police in fact i am very sympathetic to them and the daily shi# they deal with. I just cannot get my mind around this. I guess i should start or I need to move. This may not be a new concept or policing approach, but coupled with everything going on its just icing on the cake.

 

[Flopsweat]

i just googled average price of a new car - boom 45K. this may not be what the thieves are stealing, but there is serious money rolling around the streets and in the context of this thread....stolen. we get screwed multiple ways. thieves get away and not prosecuted, they are rewarded with the parts they separate from the vehicle and in the end who pays? we do with higher insurance premiums and if your the victim, like several in this thread, out of pocket expense, inconvenience, violated etc. This has to stop - I don't blame police in fact i am very sympathetic to them and the daily shi# they deal with. I just cannot get my mind around this. I guess i should start or I need to move. This may not be a new concept or policing approach, but coupled with everything going on its just icing on the cake.

This was driving the price of used cars up before the new round of inflation hit. Lock your car any time you step away from it and never leave anything valuable in it.