2021 KnowYourPolice.net , where I share everything about automotive, like car news, car mechanical issues, and anything else that comes up in my blog posts. However, you shouldnt stop there. They will start by trying to find any witnesses who may have seen the car being taken. Stolen vehicles reported to the police department are logged into a database accessible nationwide. Investigate damaged vehicles to see if the resulting dents and scratches jibe with the accident report. Comprehensive insurance generally covers losses after auto theft. Different ways are available that a vehicle can steal, but typically a thief will break into a car and hotwire it. LoJack has a stolen vehicle recovery system that reimburses you up to $10,000 if the vehicle isnt recovered within 30 days. This report should include all necessary information about the vehicle, including the make, model, year, and license plate number. Is It Different? You can follow the below steps to do a stolen car lookup online: Car theft has been a problem from the very first day cars were invented and launched on to the market. No matter where your car got stolen, such as the dealership, driveway, garage, valet parking, or a mechanic shop, you can trace your stolen vehicle with the GPS quickly. According to ValuePenguin report, the recovery rate of stolen cars is about 20% in the U.S. The police finding a stolen vehicle can be difficult there is only a little, or no evidence to base the investigation. When you report a stolen car to your local police department, a report entry begins. Run the license plate through the National crime information center NCIC it is a database. Read also: State laws allow you to claim abandoned cars. Officer 3. Typically when an officer sees a stolen vehicle they will verify the vehicle is in fact stolen before any action is taken. What are the odds of getting a stolen car back? Andrew P. Collins. However, if there no timely video equipment, the investigation can be challenging. Bernard Juchli is an experienced racer, mechanic and team owner who trusts Avon Tyres. Ultimately, if a stolen car is not recovered by law enforcement officials within a certain timeframe, it may be classified as a cold case. The vehicle would be sold for salvage or at an auction. 4 Ways To Maximize The Life Of Your Truck Bed. If you are a teenager, you can get insurance for teens to protect your car as well. Thieves often break into cars to steal valuables. Car insurance companies typically have a waiting period of 30 days, before they will pay a stolen car claim, as it gives time to see if the car would be recovered. Run the license plate through the National crime information center NCIC; it is a database. Check the area where the violation takes place. A car can be stripped entirely of parts within a few days. Again, an investigating police officer sees every car as stolen. The Azusa City Council recently approved funding for three more tracking units, which cost $1,800 each. Most major cities will have an automotive crimes department, although it might be under a different name. The police will continue to investigate a stolen car until they find either the owner or the thief. The police will then enter the stolen car into a database of stolen vehicles. If you are a victim of identity theft, contact your local police department. If they are unsuccessful in locating the owner, they will release a bulletin listing all of the details about the stolen car to other law enforcement agencies. This is rare, however, as most stolen cars are eventually returned to their owners. They can do this by looking for registration records or contacting the manufacturer of the car in order to find out who purchased it. This is how much a car like yours would sell for on the marketplace. The vehicle owner can go around their city and find their vehicle independently. These are where the thieves know the VIN and other identifying information such as license plates or color. Log into your citys transportation website. Technology does most of the work. Some insurers may take several weeks to process a claim, while others may take only a few days. How Do Police Investigate A Stolen Car After a car is reported stolen, the police will begin their investigation. This means you may have to do some of the legwork yourself if you expect to find your car. If your vehicle / car is stolen you need to report the theft immediately to the nearest police station and then phone Digitpol to assist in the search. Using these cameras has improved how police investigate stolen cars. Complex cars are those where the thief might see the color, for example, but not its VIN or license plate.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'automotiveex_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_4',167,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-automotiveex_com-medrectangle-3-0'); People who believe that their car does steal should file a police report. Some of these vehicles are pre-smart key, meaning that they are more attractive to thieves. The police will also attempt to track down the owner of the car. Was the vehicle in a parking lot, and you forgot where? 2. Lets dive in. You Should Have These 5 Things If You Go On Long Car Journeys Frequently, Startling Naperville Car Accident Statistics, 5 Must-Have SUV Accessories for Off-Road Travel. If detectives or investigators are busy, it could take even longer. This will be done by a series of photographs depicting the vehicle. Even if the stolen vehicle is found, it would have been wrecked or ripped into parts. This happens prior to the written report. This helps to avoid vehicle thefts. And hope their car insurance acted fast, and hope their policy carried a low deductible. When a car is reported stolen to the police, they will begin their investigation by gathering information about the vehicle. Even a minor traffic offense is enough reasons for a police officer to run the car for theft. It is worth checking with any businesses near where you were parked to see if they might have captured the car thief on camera. If the license plate of a car does not match the vehicle description after a plate check, it is a big sign for the officer. Such incidences usually occur during winter when people leave their vehicle engine running before driving out. Operations of this character are, in general, carried on by organized gangs intent on obtaining cars in sufficient quantities so they may be . When a car is stolen, the first and foremost step is to call the police. When the vehicle owner provides the police with their GPS tracking information, the police will be able to track the vehicle. However, since passive tracking systems do not use cellular communication in transmitting data they must be removed from the vehicle and downloaded in order for a police agency to capture and view the recorded data. In addition, the car can be seized by the police and may be sold at auction. In this blog post, we will take a look at what happens when a car is reported as stolen. Nonetheless, some residents casually use fake license plates to replace their lost plates temporarily or just to avoid the fees. The second step is to send out the license plate number and VIN to police stations in all 50 states. United States most common crimes are stolen cars. The database sends out an alert about the stolen vehicle several times a day. You search while pressing the alarm button on your keys, but you cannot hear the honk of your particular vehicle. The police officer will be spontaneously notified of a stolen car around them, which they immediately attempt to trace. I have worked at General Motors Company for over five years as the Marketing Operations Production Coordinator. For example, OnStar and LoJack have tracking devices to locate your car. Its important to take precautions to prevent your car from being stolen. You are muttering and pacing, My car was stolen. However, another parking lot within walking distance may have security cameras installed to deter thieves from taking cars from this location. Also, use rust analysis and wear patterns to see if your car's damage is actually from an old accident. They might find their vehicle dismembered and in an empty lot at best. Once it is determined that the vehicle is reported to be stolen, an officer will attempt to stop it using just lights and siren. [4] Some police departments have a dedicated toll-free number you can call to report an abandoned vehicle. This could be a parking lot or garage, street parking, or even parking near an ATM that has a camera. He is currently living in North Caroline, where its all about food and coffee and, of course, cars. The police will continue to investigate a stolen car until they find either the owner or the thief. The odds of getting a stolen car back is 46%, but this figure varies by state. Hopefully, youll never need this information. Why do people steal cars and run from the cops? Recommended Reading: Can You Find A Police Report Online, You May Like: How To Train For Police Academy. The report will likely fill at the station closest to where the vehicle did steal, and this station would be responsible for investigating and preventing the theft from continuing. But the 21st century offers a more appealing alternative, provided you have installed a GPS tracker in your car. If a license plate query returns a stolen report, the suspected is arrested. More often than not, such cases are handled by the American secret service. Consider if the car could have been towed. How Does Police Investigate A Stolen Car? License Plate Reader locations are street pools, streetlights, freeways exits, and entrances. When a car is reported as stolen, the insurance company will investigate to determine if the car was actually stolen or not. So, it may take two days for your vehicle license plate to be on the stolen vehicle list after your car was stolen. This includes taking photographs of the car, recording the Vehicle Identification Number , and checking for any outstanding warrants or tickets that may be associated with the car. Police in Eastchester are searching for the man who stole a car that had a child inside on Thursday morning. They have serious crimes to deal with. You can get a car insurance quote instantly from most agencies in your local area and they can also provide more information that will help you regarding car stolen situations. Even though the police department understands that you just want your vehicle back, your patience is necessary. Also, many cars are stripped of their parts. With a dashcam, you can do a lot of research yourself. Some criminals will use the wrong license plates when absconding, joyriding or legalizing a stolen car. Call your car insurance company. So, it may take two days for your vehicle license plate to be on the stolen vehicle list after your car was stolen. And when the vehicle in sight is caught in a violation, the police use that opportunity to check if it is stolen or not. A police officer can visit the database while interacting with vehicles on the road. A car owner would have to file a stolen car report, then wait. The penalties for this crime can range from a fine to imprisonment. Dont wait until its too late to take precautions! Thats a waste of time and resources on the part of the police. Once you have a police report number, contact your insurance company. How Can You Benefit From Investing in a High-quality Garage? Your safety and security come first. CarSuperCare.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. An assigned police investigator typically looks out for things that indicate a possibly stolen car. When a car is reported stolen to the police, they will begin their investigation by gathering information about the vehicle. Check with family members who might have borrowed it without permission. For example, the stolen car recovery rate in Washington was 71%, in Utah was 63%, but only 28% in Alabama. Yes. You are stunned, of course. Some surveillance systems are not installed to capture details other than the general activities on site. Despite all the aforementioned headaches and paperwork, police could not likely allocate the resources needed to recover it, and would probably struggle to find leads if they could. Dont Miss: How To Get A Copy Of A Police Report Online. If someone is caught driving a stolen car, they can be charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. As soon as the theft is reported to the police, the Police issues an International warrant based on the VIN and License plate. First step: They visit the site of the crime and gather evidence Second step: They go through the car's records and gather information about the last owner and the place the car did steal from it. This includes taking photographs of the car, recording the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and checking for any outstanding warrants or tickets that may be associated with the car. Before using a GPS unit to track a suspects vehicle, police officers generally need to obtain a warrant. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Speaking of fingerprints, they are quite difficult to lift inside a car due to the interior surface design or texture. Cars with crooked license plates, temporary tags (especially out-of-state tags) and busted out windows covered with bags are signs that a car may be stolen. In addition, the car can be seized by the police and may be sold at auction. You also may need to contact your financing or leasing company about the stolen vehicle. The Atlanta Police Department said last year there were 586 stolen Hyundai or Kia vehicles. After doing that, you should make sure to send out a demand letter to the person who sold you the car. 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