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Auto Theft
Auto theft is a serious community problem. Vehicle owners who have their cars stolen suffer inconvenience, expenses and time loss from work, and all vehicle owners pay higher insurance rates to cover the replacement of stolen vehicles.
Auto Theft Prevention Tips
1. Don't leave car running
Criminals commonly refer to them as "steamers".
In 2007, 641 out of 5,060 vehicles (12.7 %) stolen in the city of Portland had the keys in the vehicle. Some of the more common examples of a "steamer" are warming vehicles up on cold days or leaving vehicles running while "quickly running" into the local convenience store.
2. Don't leave valet key (in owner manual) in vehicle
Newer cars were manufactured with a valet key which will give full operation of the vehicle but not grant access to the truck or glove box. You can find these in the back of the owner manual. Thieves can break in and use this key without having the primary key.
 3. Don't leave valuables in plain sight
More than one-half of all stolen vehicles stolen in Portland are stolen merely for the valuables left inside, the "shiny things" that criminals can steal and sell for drug money.
4. Auto theft devices
Club, Wrap, Lo-jack, Onstar, etc. Using these devices will often deter car thieves from stealing your vehicle because of the mere inconvenience of having to overcoming these devices.
 5. Park in well lit areas
Criminals don't like light, they prefer hiding under the cover of darkness.
Auto Theft Prevention Resources
- National Insurance Crime Bureau
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is a not-for-profit organization that receives support from approximately 1,000 property/casualty insurance companies. The NICB partners with insurers and law enforcement agencies to facilitate the identification, detection and prosecution of insurance criminals.
- VINCheckSM
NICB's VINCheckSM is a service provided to the public to assist in determining if a vehicle has been reported as stolen. NICB's VINCheck database contains vehicles which have been reported stolen by cooperating NICB members, but not recovered. To perform a search a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is required. A maximum of 5 VINCheck searches can be conducted within a 24 hour period.
- CarFax
CARFAX searches its nationwide database and provides a detailed vehicle history report. Carfax charges a small fee for this service.
- Car Prowl Education: Stop Thief
An education program to prevent car prowl victimization
Auto Theft Statistics
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