Jul 04 2008
Parts For Cars: Why Many Cars Are Stolen
When your car is stolen, time is of the essence. This is because of the main reason why they are stolen – to provide parts for cars in black market rings. A car is actually far less valuable than parts for the car disassembled. Thieves have discovered that it is too hard to keep a car they have stolen from being discovered if the car is left intact. An intact car has traceable numbers on it – even if the license plates have been changed.
Chop Shops
Chop shop is the slang term for a hidden place that cuts apart stolen cars as quickly as possible in order to sell the parts for cars to whoever is desperate enough to pay for the parts. Chop shops can be anywhere – even out of doors, if the area is deserted enough and no one around is willing to do any snitching. However, small buildings or warehouses tend to be chop shops.
Hey – The Car Won’t Start
Older cars are now targeted more than brand new ones, because there is more of a demand for parts for older cars than for newer ones. But there is another aspect of car crime an owner must be aware of – those thieves that just steal parts of cars and leave the rest of the car behind.
Parts that have been targeted in recent years include airbags, GPS systems, stereos, batteries and just about anything else that can be yanked off. The widespread use of cordless auto tools has made thefts of parts for cars a lot easier. With practice, a thief can strip a car of sellable parts in mere minutes.
Commonsense Safety Tips
There are many things a car owner can do to help deter thieves. One is having the car parked under or very near a bright light that is on all night. Another is always making sure the car doors are locked and the keys are out of the ignition whenever you get out of the car. (It amazes me that I still come across cars running with the keys in the ignition in the greater Philadelphia area.)
Car alarms don’t work to well – and in some towns and cities, they are banned. Car alarms can also be a target for thieves looking for parts for cars to sell. However, theft prevention tools like “The Club” have helped slow down a thief enough for them to be caught in the act. The Club doesn’t stop thieves entirely, but they seem to help deter the thief from choosing your car to target.
Keeping Kids Safe
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