We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. It will send out the VIN, make, model, license plate, country, and cars color. If they locate their vehicle in a warehouse, garage, or down a dark alley, they should never approach the area. Thieves often break into cars to steal valuables. 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. Your local police department may or may not have this sort of technology. The latest report, from 2017, shows that a total of 68 percent of all reported stolen vehicles were recovered. Then the police is given the task of investigating about what actually happened. 2. The owner of the car was escorting one child to a nearby bus stop while another child . Once you find that your vehicle is gone, you should report it to the police as soon as possible. Property Crime Investigation Checklist. How does the police investigate a stolen car? This way, you will not have to face the total loss alone. Having your car stolen can be a traumatic and stressful event, but luckily there are ways to prevent it, to mitigate it, and recover from it. Most major cities will have an automotive crimes department, although it might be under a different name. For example, if you leave your car to heat up in the morning by running the engine with the keys in the ignition, then you are making your car extremely easy to steal . According to investigators, some of the defendants appeared at car-rental counters at John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in which they presented both fake IDs and credit cards in order to rent vehicles. This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. How Long Does It Take for A Stolen Car to Be in The System? The site was originally created for auto enthusiasts of all types, including enthusiasts who like supercars, drive fast, or just simply enjoy the presence of other car lovers. Either way, if you have a dashcam, it will make it easier to track down your car and the criminal who stole it. If detectives or investigators are busy, it could take even longer. If an area experiences a lot of automobile crime, like thefts, destruction, or racing, the precinct may create a department dedicated to these crimes. 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. If your stolen car is rented, contact the leasing company after you find the vehicle is missing. About UsDisclaimerCookie PolicyPrivacy PolicyTerms & ConditionsWrite for UsContact Us. How scary would it be to deal with auto theft,especially if that was your only method of transportation? Unfortunately, fingerprints can take as long as 12-18 months of wait for results due to other cases already awaiting examination. Read Also: What Kind Of Drones Do Police Use. A stolen vehicle is likely to be found at a crime scene. But the 21st century offers a more appealing alternative, provided you have installed a GPS tracker in your car. Fill out the police department's online form as an alternative. When you report a stolen car to your local police department, a report entry begins. 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. Lets learn how police investigate a stolen car. Recent legal decisions have made it clear that the installation of GPS tracking devices is subject to the protection of the Fourth Amendment, therefore law enforcement needs to take the appropriate precautions and obtain a warrant before using GPS devices for certain purposes. Did I lock it? Using a network of license plate readers, the readers will scan the vehicles license plate and detect if one is stolen. Some of these vehicles are pre-smart key, meaning that they are more attractive to thieves. Perhaps before the report is assigned. Typically when an officer sees a stolen vehicle they will verify the vehicle is in fact stolen before any action is taken. Bernard Juchli is an experienced racer, mechanic and team owner who trusts Avon Tyres. If a stolen car is found, it is usually because that car was at the site of a bigger and more dangerous crime scene. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Recommended Reading: How To Search Police Records. How Long Does It Take for A Stolen Car to Be Found? With a dashcam, you can do a lot of research yourself. So, the ratio of recovered vehicles is roughly 20% of the total stolen vehicle list. In this age of rapidly expanding technology, it is common for businesses of all kinds to have security cameras installed outside of their business. If people are watching the car, the police will have backup and information on the active criminals in the area. However, the transfer process may take a couple of days to be assign to an investigator. This is why you need to learn every crucial detail regarding the stolen vehicle investigation process, and what to do if you are ever a victim of car theft. Filling out a police report helps insurance companies investigate the claim. A criminal organization likely performs the exportation. This is a useful sign that the area isnt safe. Maybe you forgot where you parked? If someone tries to register the car under their name or apply for a new title, the DMV can notify the police. Here Is How The Police Investigate A Stolen Car, Cars Are Usually Stripped For Parts In Days. Here are some ways to make sure your car is really missing before calling the police department: If you dont know where your car is, you can treat it as if it were truly stolen. Use your license plate to check whether your vehicle is in the database. This is a well-safe place for you to be while shopping. Despite what you might think, there are a lot of cars out there without GPS. According to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 1 in 5 stolen cars goes back to the owner. When your car is stolen, you should check the security camera footage immediately. A hundred things ran through my mind. Thieves wont feel compelled to break into your car this way. Speaking of fingerprints, they are quite difficult to lift inside a car due to the interior surface design or texture. So, keep your personal items with you and not in the car. He has been writing for multiple sectors and is a regular contributor to several publications. Run plates of cars that have a truck plate instead of a passenger plate on it. They then proclaim the stolen vehicle to be permanently lost. When a car is stolen, the first and foremost step is to call the police. When luxury vehicles go missing, they are illegally exported and taken to other countries instead of a couple of miles away. Here are some tips that can help: By following these tips, you can help prevent your car from being stolen. If they forget the keys inside the car, a spare key comes in handy. For example, if you leave your car to heat up in the morning by running the engine with the keys in the ignition, then you are making your car extremely easy to steal . Ask yourself if the car was moved by mistake ? It is also useful for vehicles identification. Be sure to have all relevant information handy, such as your policy number and contact information. When a car is reported stolen to the police, they will begin their investigation by gathering information about the vehicle. Using these cameras has improved how police investigate stolen cars. Check the area where the violation takes place. These are where the thieves know the VIN and other identifying information such as license plates or color. They will search for your missing car and then release it to you if they find it. Dont be surprised if your policy doesnt cover theftnot all car insurance providers do. Finding a stolen car used to be all but a lost cause. When you file the insurance claim, youll need the police report number and a copy of the police report, if its available. The surveillance camera may have been at extreme angle, or blocked by an obstacle, making it difficult to identify the suspect or read the vehicle license plate. 7 Ways to Unlock Jeep Cherokee With Keys Inside, Rent-to-Own Trailer Financing | A Blessing in Disguise, 6 Upgrades and Accessories for Every Serious UTE Driver, How to Prevent Water Spots On Car Windows | Different Methods, How to Remove Shear Bolts | A Step by Step Guide, How to Change Mileage on a Car | Follow These Simple 4 Steps, How to Make a Blow-Off Valve Louder | 6 Steps You Can Apply Now, How to Remove Window Paint from Car | 7 DIY Steps with Images, Calling the owner and getting their address. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. When Does The Police Use The Digitpol Database? Also, looking at Massachusetts, we can project that we will have a 25 to 30% arrest rate, Hulet addedbetter than the 1% arrest rate Los Angeles has now. When the vehicle owner provides the police with their GPS tracking information, the police will be able to track the vehicle. Operations of this character are, in general, carried on by organized gangs intent on obtaining cars in sufficient quantities so they may be . Whether your car has a GPS system. How to Diagnose Alternator Problems & Test if Bad. What Happen When Your Car is Stolen then Found? , where I share everything about automotive, like car news, car mechanical issues, and anything else that comes up in my blog posts. One of the best ways to raise the likelihood of the cops recovering your vehicle is if it has a GPS tracker. With comprehensive experience in writing exceptional quality articles and blogs about cars and related stuff, Daniel is one of the finest bloggers and a hardcore car lover we have. A car owner would have to file a stolen car report, then wait. Courses are carried out on a regional basis, enabling countries to build working relationships and work together more effectively on cross-border cases. When you file an insurance claim for a stolen car, your insurance company will most likely investigate the theft. Did I leave a window cracked? If the Police cant help, you should report it to the DMV. - Explained, Reasons Why Police Officers Touch Your Car When They Stop, Here's How To Get Car Accident Police Report Online, Was My Car Repossessed Or Stolen? You can obtain detailed identity theft information from the . Choose the Get form key to open it and start editing. A few of the ways image analysis can help include: Keep in mind, a lot of the image analysis technology is new. So far, this year, there have been more than 100 reported stolen Kia or Hyundai. Submit all the necessary boxes (these are marked in yellow). For example, a blue Nissan plates could be found on a black Ford, which indicates possible theft. Furthermore, it will allow law enforcement officials to keep a lookout for the stolen car. Removing window paint from a car includes Automotiveex was proudly founded in 2021 by Courtney D. Sanders as a personal hobby website. For example, people in Northeast will get their stolen car back 14% of the time while people in Midwest recover stolen cars back about 24% of the time. Youd be responsible for the deductible amount with your auto insurance claim. If someone is caught driving a stolen car, they can be charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. They can do this by looking for registration records or contacting the manufacturer of the car in order to find out who purchased it. And when the vehicle in sight is caught in a violation, the police use that opportunity to check if it is stolen or not. This is down from the previous years recovery rate of 71 percent. A car owner would have to file a stolen car report, then wait. The police will also attempt to track down the owner of the car. You are stunned, of course. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. There are a handful of ways in which you can still track your stolen car, even if there is no GPS. How do police investigate stolen car? Insurance.com managing editor, Ashlee Tilford learned that embarrassing lesson when on her first day of college she finished the day only to find her car had vanished. However, look at the minimum car insurance requirements before investing in it. If you werent asked about this, please read the information below then call us on 101, quoting your incident number, to record your wishes. This amounts to around $600 million in losses for car owners and insurers. They have a. The vehicle owner must report the missing vehicle to the police station and give them all the necessary information. 4 Ways To Maximize The Life Of Your Truck Bed. My car was stolen yesterday with my purse in it, I've done all of the first steps - filed a police report, called my insurance, the dealership, cancelled my cards, posted on social media, but I'm wondering what happens now. Finding a stolen car used to be all but a lost cause. You also have to understand that criminals arent as dumb as you may believe. Wondering Why Catalytic Converters Are Stolen? If handled correctly, GPS trackers offer an effective means for police departments to manage their forces, gather evidence, and apprehend criminals. When you report a stolen car to your local police department, a report entry begins. More specialized courses look at digital forensics and plant and construction machinery, which have proven to be very beneficial to member countries. So, does this mean youre out of luck if someone steals your car and the GPS isnt on? The best way to think of a passive tracking solution is that it is a recorder of vehicle travel history. Dispatches officer to take the report. If there is a tracking device on your car, the person who installed it will likely contact you to try and recover the device. By contrast, some steps will make your car much easier to steal. They may pull over the driver for questioning since the police officer believes the car is stolen until proven otherwise. "I realized my car wasn't there, I was like 'oh my God! 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. The police will add it to this database. If someone is caught driving a stolen car, they can be charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. Because of budgetary constraints and cut-backs facing many police departments, many governments, and police agencies have turned to cost-effective no monthly fee tracking devices known as GPS data loggers. Once you have a police report number, contact your insurance company. A GPS device sending and receiving signals from these satellites can be located virtually anywhere in the world to precise geographic coordinates, usually within fifteen feet! The system, manufactured by Massachusetts-based LoJack Corp., looks like something out of a James Bond movie. When the police recover a stolen car, they will try to find the rightful owner. This damage is nearly $1,459 on average. The longer you wait to report the car stolen to the police and your insurer, the lower your chances are to recover the car. Below we outline the key steps you should take if your car is stolen. The department receives hundreds of reports monthly, and your stolen car report is investigated in the order it is received. Now, when any officer processes the license plates, they can tell if a car is stolen or not, and make attempt to recover it. Why do people steal cars and run from the cops? We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. You will be surprised to learn that there is a car theft reported every 50 seconds in the states alone. The insurance company will investigate the case before paying out for your loss. On the other hand, your insurance company may wait several weeks before settling your claim. I couldnt believe my eyes. The great thing about GPS data loggers is that they provide police and law enforcement with second-by-second tracking, but do so with no subscription fees. If the vehicle owner does find their vehicle, they should tell the police in charge of vehicle investigations. This is because attaching or installing a tracking device on someone elses vehicle is considered to be roughly equivalent to a search. Talk To Your Insurance Company Once you have a police report number, contact your insurance company. Even a minor traffic offense is enough reasons for a police officer to run the car for theft. A GPS Device for tracking can lead you, and law enforcement, directly to your stolen automobile. ANN ARBOR - Michigan State Police First District announced that officers located a stolen vehicle early Monday morning on Jackson Rd. The most commonly stolen vehicles are older model sedans and SUVs, which can be easily sold or stripped for parts. Keep yourself and your belongings safe by being proactive about car security.