Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) -- Bait vehicles are capturing more than just car thieves. Cars rigged with video and other tracking technology have also caught the attention of the public, warning crooks that no vehicle is safe to steal.
“People really enjoy seeing these guys go to jail. They get to watch a crime in progress,” Phoenix police Sgt. Don Schukei said. “We are starting to get lots of calls from people saying, `We have an auto theft problem in my apartment complex, neighborhood, church parking lot. ... Please bring your car here.’”
Authorities say the decoys’ high-profile helped Arizona knock down its five-year run as the highest per capita auto theft state in the nation. In the first half of last year, auto thefts statewide declined by seven percent.
“I think Valley-wide it has had a big impact. We have put the focus on auto theft again,” Tempe Sgt. Joe Brosius said.
Police who use the bait cars have made at least 56 arrests.
There have been 41 criminal cases filed, but not a single one has gone to trial. Authorities say offenders take plea deals rather than have video evidence of the theft presented in court.
The program has saved taxpayer dollars too, officials said. Decoy cars reduce manpower hours required to catch thieves and cut court costs in prosecuting offenders, said Susan Luder, a deputy Maricopa County attorney.
The Arizona Auto Theft Authority has provided most of the funding for bait cars, awarding $214,514 in grants over the past two years.
Cars used in the program are on loan to police departments through the nonprofit National Insurance Crime Bureau, which finds previously stolen or wreck-damaged high-profile vehicles like SUVs and pickups.
Police load the cars with technology such as a global positioning satellite tracking system, computers, video equipment and cell phones. The cars are then left in high auto theft spots.
There have been a few problems with the decoy cars’ systems. Several agencies reported having cell phone and computer glitches. Also, Phoenix police lost a car in December for two days. The thief has not been caught, but the car was recovered.
Years ago police used bait cars paired with detectives that simply watched the rigged cars, hoping a thief would strike.
Patrol officers prefer the modern bait cars because they reduce injuries to police. Since the cars are remotely shut down, they prevent dangerous or high-speed chases.