Lock all the doors of the car when you are buying even a small thing from the store, because thief can steal the car in a second. If a thief sees the keys dangling in the car he may steal your new car. Nowadays thieves have become so clever that they do not want to steal the car but items that are in car like the cell phones, credit cards, checkbooks etc. Avoid fancy accessories in your car. Car thieves generally steal expensive rims, spoilers etc from the car.

Nowadays auto thieves have become expert in stealing a car; they can break the lock of even a security device. But there are some new security devices in the market which may scare the auto thief. A new type of alarm is introduced in the market; if anyone touches the vehicle it will create a loud sound. Plenty of auto security devices are available in the market; you can choose anyone from the market.

Auto thefts in Oahu have fallen to 41 percent since 2002. In 2002, nearly 8,488 cars were stolen in Oahu. The number of vehicles stolen in the first half of Honolulu was 2,893 which have reduced to 1,701 in the first half of 2008. On the whole if you see the crime rate in the city has declined to 22 percent, but maximum drop was in auto thefts. Due to slow down in the economy, 2008 was a bad year for the car dealers as well as car stealers. Auto theft in 2008 was 1,701 which was less when compared to 2,893 cars stolen in 2007. Motor vehicle thefts dropped 12.6 per cent in the city. Violent crime like murder, rape, robbery was down 7 percent. Property crime rate was down 23 percent. Property crime includes burglary, larceny theft and auto theft. The city has a population of 905,000, in which there were 8 murders in the first half of 2008 compared to 12 murders in the first half of 2007. The number of rapes has also reduced in the city with 96 in the first half of 2008 when compared to 127 in the first half of 2007. According to Bureau’s preliminary figures, violent crime fell 3.5 percent and property crime has fallen to 2.5 percent.

According to a survey, crime rate has been decreasing in Nashville city from last five years. On the whole, crime has reduced by 2.3 percent and violent crimes by 5.2 percent when compared to 2007. But in homicides the crime was on rise, with one case in 2008. Chief of Metro police, Ronal Serpas will hand over his report to Mayor Dean at the end of the meeting today. Nashville people could not expect that crime rate has fallen down in five straight years in a row. The city has its lowest crime levels in 18 years. Auto theft crime rate has fallen down to 17.5 percent, and robbery down to 8.6 percent and rapes have also seen a decrease of 6.5 percent. The auto theft rate is at its lowest level in Nashville.

The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the availability of an online computer system to help protect states and consumers from automobile fraud and to provide law enforcement with new tools to investigate fraud, theft, and other crimes involving vehicles. The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, or NMVTIS, will be available for consumers on January 30, 2009 and will be accessible through third party, fee-for-service websites. The Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) administers NMVTIS in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The system allows state motor vehicle administrators to verify and exchange titling and brand data and provides law enforcement officials, consumers, and others with critical information regarding vehicle histories. Consumers now have access to the vehicle’s brand history, odometer data, and basic vehicle information and can be redirected to the current state of record to access the full title record if available. Law enforcement can track the vehicle’s status from state to state by accessing the system directly.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, car theft is a profitable business generating nearly $8 billion a year. Along with implementing this system, the Department has outlined the various responsibilities and reporting requirements for states, auto recyclers, junk yards and salvage yards, and insurance carriers. The Department has designed the system consistent with federal law that requires that the system be paid for through user fees and not dependent on federal funding.

Since 1997, the Department of Justice has committed over $15 million to assist states and other stakeholders in the implementation of NMVTIS. Currently, NMVTIS has the participation, or partial participation, of 36 states. Ultimately, with full participation from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, NMVTIS will prevent stolen motor vehicles, including clones, from entering into interstate commerce; protect states and consumers from fraud; reduce the use of stolen vehicles for illicit purposes including fundraising for criminal enterprises; and provide consumer protection from unsafe vehicles. In research conducted by the Logistics Management Institute, the system is estimated to save taxpayers between $4 and $11 billion each year. For further information on NMVTIS.

The Office of Justice Programs, headed by Acting Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson, provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has five component bureaus: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office for Victims of Crime. Additionally, OJP has two program offices: the Community Capacity Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed strategy, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART).

VANCOUVER – Police will now be able to watch and listen to auto thieves in real time with the introduction of the Bait Car Live program, Solicitor General John van Dongen announced today as a part of the kick-off to April as Auto Crime Enforcement Month.

“A stolen vehicle in the hands of a car thief is like a 3,000-pound bullet driving down the road,”said van Dongen. “On top of that, police officers often face drug-fuelled car thieves armed with weapons such as knives and guns. This new Bait Car Live technology will greatly enhance officer safety and make our streets safer.”

Previous bait car technology did not allow for live monitoring; police could only view the tape after the vehicle was stopped. Officers were not able to determine how many suspects were in the vehicle, what they were planning, or if they were armed.

“Stopping a stolen vehicle can pose great danger to police because a suspect could have a gun,or there may be more than one person involved,” said Sgt. Gord Elias of the Integrated Municipal Auto Crime Team (IMPACT). “Bait Car Live allows a dispatcher to watch and listen to everything going on inside a bait car as it happens and relay that information instantly to the responding police unit.”

Auto Crime Enforcement month will also see police forces across B.C. ramping up efforts to arrest car thieves and drive down auto theft statistics. Auto theft dropped 16 per cent in British Columbia between 2007 and 2008, from 15,900 to 13,400 vehicles stolen. Since 2003, the launch year of the Bait Car program, there has been a 47 per cent decline in auto theft from 25,500 to 13,400.

“Since launching the bait car program in 2003, we’ve seen auto theft claims fall by about $40 million,” said Donnie Wing, ICBC’s senior vice-president of insurance, marketing and underwriting.“It’s one of the reasons why ICBC has been able to lower optional insurance rates 17 per cent over the past five years. Our three per cent reduction in 2009 alone totals a $50 million savings to our 3.1million customers.”

The Province has a number of strategies in the battle against vehicle theft. The IMPACT program uses Automatic Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology, which involves the deployment across the Lower Mainland of covert police cars equipped with on-board cameras and computers. ALPR can run up to 600 plates per hour looking for stolen vehicles. The Air One helicopter has also had success apprehending car thieves. Since it went fully operational in 2006, Air One has assisted or been directly involved in 146 stolen vehicle incidents resulting in the arrest of 218 people.As well, Air Two, the second police helicopter to take to the skies, was introduced recently and doubles the ability of police to apprehend criminals.

NEW WESTMINSTER – The Province will spend $1.8 million to more than triple the number of in car police cameras across B.C. to back more impaired and dangerous driving charges with indisputable evidence, Solicitor General John van Dongen announced today.

“We’ve all seen on TV the kind of footage these cameras gather: impaired drivers falling out of their vehicles, trying to flee on foot or even assaulting police officers who’ve just pulled them over,”said van Dongen. “This footage is irrefutable, puts judges at the scene of a crime, saves police paperwork and court time, and leads to more guilty pleas and convictions.”

The new cameras will bring to approximately 450 the number of patrol-car cameras across B.C., with 260 new units to be installed in RCMP traffic-duty vehicles and 60 in vehicles used by the Province’s 11 independent municipal police departments to promote road safety. Last April, the ministry funded the purchase and installation of 33 in-car cameras for use by independent departments,complementing the approximately 100 then in use by RCMP Traffic Services and Integrated Road Safety Units.

“Impaired driving alone continues to kill or injure about 3,300 people in B.C. every year,” said Supt. Norm Gaumont of RCMP B.C. Traffic Services. “Solid evidence like car-cam footage leads to convictions and, in turn, more consequences than ever for impaired and dangerous drivers – including mandatory use of an ignition interlock device after a single alcohol-related driving conviction.”

The Governor’s Auto Theft Strike Force operates a confidential toll free auto theft tip line that gives you the opportunity to help stop auto thieves. If you give information that leads to the arrest of a car thief, or the location of a chop shop, you could receive a confidential cash reward of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00). All you need to do is call 1-800-HOT-AUTO. Auto theft is a serious and far-reaching crime that affects us all. Last year alone over thirty thousand cars were stolen in Massachusetts. At a minimum, auto theft costs us all extra money in higher insurance premiums. Insurance companies recognize this problem and that is why this tip line has been established.

The 1-800-HOT-AUTO tip-line is operated by state troopers at the Governor’s Auto Theft Strike Force. Your call and identity will be kept confidential. All rewards are paid out in cash with no strings attached. Again, the telephone number to call is 1-800-HOT-AUTO (1-800-468-2886).

The Governor’s Auto Theft Strike Force also runs a VIN Etching program. VIN etching is the process of permanently etching your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) into the windows of your automobile. The moment your vehicle is reported stolen, its federally registered VIN becomes the mark of a stolen vehicle. Thieves are less likely to risk the theft of an easily identified vehicle nor are they willing to spend the time and effort trying to replace VIN marked windows. The fee for this service is $10.00, however, you can save up to 15% off on your comprehensive insurance when you have VIN etching done on your car. More information is available for this program by calling the VIN etching coordinator at the Governor’s Auto Theft Strike Force at 781-393-1201.

Attorney General Gary King today joined other top law enforcement officers at a news conference to promote national and local efforts to provide early childhood care as a means to crime prevention.

(SANTA FE)—Attorney General Gary King today joined other top law enforcement officers at a news conference to promote national and local efforts to provide early childhood care as a means to crime prevention.

“Once a crime is committed, the damage is done. It makes sense to focus resources on that time in kids lives when we have the opportunity to prevent crime,” says AG King. “I think my mom, Alice King, who worked so hard to protect children, would agree that it is never too early to teach kids how to stay out of trouble.”

The law enforcement leaders gathered at the Flores del Sol Head Start Center in Santa Fe to extend their support to proposals currently being advanced in the New Mexico Legislature that would expand the state’s pre-kindergarten program and other early childhood development initiatives.Event sponsor, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, cited a recent report showing that children who attend high quality early education and care programs are significantly less likely to commit crimes as adults.

Due to funding shortfalls, 65 percent of 3 and 4-year-olds in New Mexico are not enrolled in state pre-kindergarten, the federally-funded Head Start school readiness program or a special education preschool. Attorney General King and the other law enforcement representatives also urged state lawmakers to expand voluntary home-visiting programs which help new parents learn about health and development needs of their children and how to avoid abusive behavior toward their kids.

Rushcliffe South includes Bingham, Radcliffe on Trent, Cotgrave, as well as 146 square miles of rural villages including East Bridgford, Cropwell Bishop, Keyworth, Tollerton, East Leake, Gotham, and local officers believe criminals are deliberately traveling to rural locations in an effort to find easier targets.

Sgt Zoe Hallam, who works at Bingham Police Station, said: “We are still seeing reductions in the level of vehicle crime in Rushcliffe South, with a 37% fall in the number of thefts from vehicles since 1 April 2008 to date.

“However, there was a significant increase in the number of offences being committed in rural areas at the start of the year. We moved quickly to identify and arrest the offenders, and those individuals are currently on police bail while investigations continue. “We have seen the number of thefts from vehicles fall as a result, but we are still carrying out increased patrols in areas which were targeted. We are also conducting a number operations to identify other offenders and the vehicles they are using to travel around the area.

“What we need local residents to remember is that following some simple crime prevention advice can dramatically reduce their risk of becoming a victim of car crime. “If you’ve got a garage, use it – your vehicle is usually worth a lot more than whatever else you might be keeping in it. If you haven’t got a garage but have got a drive, get your car off the street and park on the drive.

“If you’ve got an alarm or a steering lock, make sure you use it, and always take any valuables with you when you leave your vehicle. Don’t leave anything in your car. “If you’ve got a sat-nav, take it with you and remember to remove the holder. If you leave it in the car, the thieves may think there’s a sat-nav hidden in the vehicle. Even if there isn’t, they might still break in to check, which will mean you’ll end up facing the cost of replacing the window.

“They’ll even look for the ring mark left by the holder on the windscreen, so you’ll needs to rub this off as well before you leave the vehicle.” A number of vehicles have also been stolen following a recent spate of burglaries in the Keyworth, Neville and Wiverton areas, where offenders have taken car keys from the property and used them to steal a vehicle from the address.

Peter Ainley, crime reduction manager for Rushcliffe South, said: “Taking the car keys in a burglary has become an increasingly common method of stealing vehicles, as improvements in car security mean that newer vehicles cannot be driven away without ‘chipped’ ignition keys. “Make sure you take care to secure your property – thieves will always favour an open or insecure door or window – it’s the easy option – and insecure windows and doors play large part in car key break.

“To avoid becoming a victim of crime, make sure your windows and doors are locked and make use of security features like night locks on windows and door chains. Don’t leave your car keys in an obvious place – keep them somewhere secure and out of sight of an opportunist thief.”

Car thefts in Honolulu have been on the decline, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s Hot Spots auto theft report. There were about 3,633 car thefts in Honolulu last year, down 26% from the 4,935 thefts in 2006 and down 35% from the 5,602 thefts in 2005. Honolulu was in 82nd position in the nation based on its per capita rate of auto thefts. Honolulu had a rate of 401 vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents. Modesto, California, took the No.1 spot, with 5,358 thefts and a rate of 1,047. The rate determination used the 2007 U.S. Census Population Estimates, the most current figures available, according to the bureau.

In 2007, for the second year in a row, the 1991 Honda Accord and 1995 Honda Civic led a list of most reported stolen cars, according to Hot Wheels 2008, the companion study to the Hot Spots auto theft report. Also making the top 10 for 2007 were the 1989 Toyota Camry, 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 Pickup, 1997 Ford F-150 Series Pickup, 1994 Acura Integra, 1994 Nissan Sentra, 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup, 1988 Toyota Pickup and the 2007 Toyota Corolla.

According to the bureau, they have confirmed that theft of older model vehicles has remained constant for the past several years. Thieves continue to target older vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts. Preliminary data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report reveal that motor vehicle theft is headed for an 8.9% decrease in 2007; however the final figures will be released later this year.