Eugene police roll out bait cars
Eugene OR Sept 10 2018 Eugene car thieves have stolen more than $1.75 million worth of vehicles since January.
But in March, Eugene police rolled out a new four-wheeled secret weapon aimed at catching unsuspecting auto thieves: a bait car.
Since its introduction, police said, four people have taken the bait. Three have been convicted of stealing the bait car and sentenced to prison for up to a little more than three years. The fourth person accused of stealing the bait car is awaiting trial.
Through August, Eugene police received 371 reports of stolen vehicles, department spokesman John Hankemeier said. In 2017, thieves stole 572 vehicles in Eugene.
“We want those responsible for taking the over 900 cars since the beginning of 2017 to know that the next car they take could be one of ours,” property crime Sgt. Wayne Dorman said.
Nationally, a vehicle is stolen every 41 seconds, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More than 750,000 drivers fall victim to vehicle theft each year.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the most stolen vehicles nationally in 2016 — the most recent available report — were Honda Accords, Honda Civics and full-size Ford pickup trucks, in that order.
Hankemeier said in a press release last week that the agency cannot provide specific details about the bait car program, including what kind of car is used and where it is parked. The department does, however, have the ability to use multiple cars as part of the program, Hankemeier said, and police hope the program will deter criminals and reduce the number of stolen vehicles in Eugene.
To help prevent your own vehicle from being taken, police advise the public to use common sense when parking and exiting a vehicle, including taking the vehicle’s keys out of the vehicle, closing and locking all windows and doors, and parking in well-lit areas if possible. Police also advise not to leave valuables in the vehicle.
While radios and wheel covers are popular stolen vehicle parts, anything that will sell is valuable to a thief, police said, including engines, doors, air bags, GPS units, cellphones, iPads and transmissions.
The Register Guard
