2008 Woodie Awards
Key To Prevention: Law enforcement officers suggest ways to keep auto theft down
Maggie Kiely
Issue date: 1/30/08 Section: News
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Kat Anderson, crime prevention coordinator for the South Plains Auto Theft Task Force, said auto theft in Lubbock decreased by 19 percent from 2006 to 2007.
The South Plains Auto Theft Task Force is a Lubbock county entity working to prevent auto thefts in 28 counties including Lubbock County.
Anderson said the decrease in thefts probably is due to several factors including the state's "Lock It or Lose It" radio and TV campaign ads encouraging drivers to lock their car doors and the Help End Auto Theft state-wide program.
The HEAT program allows "any vehicle owner in Texas (to) obtain decals for his/her car or truck that authorizes law enforcement officers to stop the vehicle and verify ownership between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. anywhere in Texas," according to the program's Web site, records.txdps.state.tx.us/heat.
To further reduce auto theft, Anderson said a law that has been in existence since 1995 is being enforced more strictly.
"You can't leave your car running and leave your keys in the ignition," she said. "Nobody's really enforced (the law) but they're showing if you do, insurance rates and auto thefts go down."
According to Texas Transportation Code 545.404, "an operator may not leave the vehicle unattended without: stopping the engine; locking the ignition; removing the key from the ignition; setting the parking brake effectively; and if standing on a grade, turning the front wheels to the curb."
While the decrease in vehicle thefts may be encouraging for Lubbock residents, Anderson said, auto thefts for the entire state are up 11 percent.
"The bigger metro cities are getting hit really bad on the F-250s and F-350s," she said. "Immigrant smugglers are stealing them to go off-roading to smuggle drugs."
Anderson said she believes the smugglers eventually will come to Lubbock, which is the reason she is working to prevent auto theft before it becomes a major problem.
"(It) all starts with the owner," she said, "just taking two seconds to take your key out of the ignition."
Cpl. Darren Lindley, with the Lubbock Police Department, said residents need to be aware of the risks involved in leaving keys in the ignition.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Anitasaythis
Anita Harrison
posted 1/30/08 @ 10:43 PM CST
When I've got items in my car and I know that I'll be stopping somewhere to shop, I stop my car a few blocks before arriving and place those items in the trunk. (Continued…)
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