Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Auto thieves warming up

Vehicle thefts are up this year -- and Metro Police say the problem is going to get worse.

"Starting in May, thefts start going up," said Sgt. Ted Snodgrass. "They gradually climb, until they peak in August. We had close to 800 thefts last August."

In the first three months of the year, Clark County thefts (excluding Boulder City, Henderson, Mesquite and North Las Vegas) numbered 699, 623 and 594. The figures for 1995 were 705, 500 and 550.

Snodgrass said most vehicle were stolen by teenagers out for joy rides. Their rides of choice include the Honda Accord, Oldsmobile Cutlass and old Cadillacs.

"Generally, the more expensive cars have more extensive security systems," Snodgrass said. He added that teenagers know if they are seen driving an expensive automobile, chances are greater the police will run the plate number to see if the vehicle is stolen.

Lately, smaller cars such as the Toyota Corolla, Saturn and Nissan Sentra have been favorites among thieves. Snodgrass attributes this to their minimal security systems. These thefts could have been avoided by taking some simple precautions, he said.

"The thief can steal any car you got," Snodgrass said. "You want them to spend a lot of time trying to steal your car. This will act as a deterrent."

Snodgrass suggests installing hidden electrical cutoff switches in a vehicle, parking in well-lighted areas and not leaving a car running when going into a store. He also advises using your garage and not parking in the driveway.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, vehicle thefts fell nationwide by an estimated 2 percent in 1995. In 1994, the number of stolen vehicles was 1,539,097. The decrease is an estimate and a total figure for 1995 is not available, bureau officials said.

The NICB valued the average stolen vehicle in 1994 at $4,940. A vehicle is stolen on the average of once every 20 seconds, the NICB reported.

The NICB ranked Las Vegas 26th nationwide in vehicle thefts for 1994. Reno was ranked 123rd.

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