A tempting oasis for car thieves

By Charles Sercombe
For years Hamtramck has been on the radar of car thieves.
It still is.
Last year’s auto theft statistics are not yet available, but in 2013 there were 236 auto thefts and in 2012 there were 188.
Hamtramck’s Police Department has an auto theft unit that consists of one investigator who gets help from two investigators from the Highland Park Police Department and one from Ecorse.
But they do more than focus on auto thefts, said Hamtramck Police Chief Max Garbarino.
“The auto theft unit isn’t just dealing with stolen cars, it is very heavy in fraud, and other vehicle related crimes including carjackings,” Garbarino said after receiving permission from the city manager to talk with The Review.
City Manager Katrina Powell has told department heads they must first get permission before talking with the media.
While the theft rate may be high, Garbarino said his department has made strides in recovering vehicles that have been stolen. In 2013 from October through December 27 cars were recovered, at a value of more than $350,000.
That number increased to 92 cars recovered in 2014 from July through September, at a value of more than $650,000.
One thing investigators can’t always figure out are cases of fraud. Some car owners, Garbarino said, report their auto has been taken, but in truth they disposed of it to make an insurance claim.
Cars that are actually stolen usually end up in so-called chop shops that disassemble them for parts. In some cases, cars are transported to Europe for resale.
It used to be that parking lots here in town were prime target areas, but now, Garbarino said, thieves canvass the streets looking for what they want.
Some of the more desirable models are Ford Focus, Chrysler mini-vans and anything with “expensive rims and tires, or basically anything older and easy to take,” Garbarino said.
One way to prevent the bad guys from stealing your car is to make sure they never see it, at least when you can.
“If you have a garage use it,” Garbarino said.
Otherwise, he said, follow these guidelines:
“Get an alarm, use a Club, park in lighted areas and/or use motion sensors. Develop a network with your neighbors and look out for each other. Some people install kill switches.”
But no matter what precaution you take, these are pros we’re dealing with.
“If there is an order for something they will get it,” Garbarino said. “It’s not uncommon for them (vehicles) to just be towed away as well.”
In recent weeks as the weather turns colder there have been a number of cases where car owners leave their unattended cars running to warm up. That has served as a tempting invitation to thieves passing by to jump in and drive away.