Police1 notes that the following information may not be new for many police in larger cities, with more than 75,000 instances throughout the U.S. every year, but law enforcement in smaller cities should take note of this growing crime trend:
Airbags are becoming the latest lure for thieves who are breaking into cars increasingly across the U.S.
A prime example is in Howard County, Md. where just since September, about three dozen airbags have been stolen from cars in the middle of the night. Thieves have been hitting residential areas in north Laurel, Columbia and parts of Elkridge, Md. said Howard police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn. Stereos and cash were also stolen from some vehicles.
Airbags, which retail for an average of $1,000, can sell for about $200 on the black market, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
In Montgomery County, police say that about 14 airbags were stolen from cars in Bethesda in November, including a dozen on the night of Nov. 11.
Unactivated airbags, the size of two decks of playing cards, can be quickly stolen from the steering wheel or dashboard, said Frank Scafidi, spokesman for the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
“These people are very good at carefully cutting into the compartment and removing the contents,” Scafidi said.
More than 75,000 air bags are stolen every year, he said, costing insurers and vehicle owners more than $50 million annually. A search of an online auction showed 28 pages of airbags, ranging in price from $16 for one to $400 for a set. Stolen air bags are often reused by auto parts shops.
“We are seeing it more and more, all around the country. It is not an isolated thing in certain areas or cities,” Scafidi said. “It goes back into the early nineties. If you are going to break into a car, why screw around with a radio when you can get an airbag?”
He said manufacturers are working to put tracking or identification numbers on the bags to make them less attractive to thieves.
Source: The Washington Post