HOT CAR

e [Music] a hot car a major enforcement problem in this vast Nation built on Automotive transportation for the enforcement officer vigilance for hot cars is an important part of his Tour of Duty yet the task is not an easy [Music] one there was a time when auto theft was a relatively minor problem but with better roads came increased Automotive production and an ever increasing enforcement task today the thief's opportunities are seemingly unlimited the enforcement problem is staggering motives for thefts range from juvenile whim a joy ride to the professional operating an enormous illegal business rate of recovery is certainly lower when the crime is committed by this latter group professional Rings function smoothly and efficiently to transform the identity of the stolen car beyond recognition even by the owner operating in production line fashion they work to change every possible detail of the car even the tires are changed in the Swift fael lifting accessories are changed or added no detail is considered too minute the engine number considered the identifying birth mark of every car is ground off and a new one is stamped in the metal this change can be detected by the well-trained eye for which telltale signs remain but the Casual Observer would not readily see the traces that remain after grinding the serial number different from the engine number is usually attached on a plate this means of identification is easily Changed by substituting a new plate the big job is changing the entire color of the car with this the stolen vehicle is ready for sale on the market without fear of immediate detection in the enormous flow of traffic that an officer encounters each day the stolen car blends with natural camouflage but for the well-trained officer the camouflage is not perfect the there are signs characteristics which Mark the hot car single it out from the hundreds of other cars which the officer sees the most important single factor in the detection of stolen vehicles is an accurate hot sheet before leaving for his Tour of Duty the officer brought his list up to the minute with the latest writings available throughout the day he will bring the sheet current by adding additional numbers received by radio it is essential too that he removed numbers as they are reported recovered the hot sheet should be kept in a prominent place where it can be quickly and easily referred to most vehicles are stolen for some temporary Transportation often it is for a joy ride usually by two or more persons or it may have been intended for use as a getaway car in the commission of another crime in any event the thief is often careless with the property that is not his sometimes he is nervous and this is reflected in his driving in view of these considerations the car thief is prone to violation of traffic laws an officer should check this possibility in the course of apprehending a [Music] violator the officer Parks his vehicle behind the suspect car and slightly offset to the left to provide a safety Lane during the investigation approaching any vehicle is a potential danger before exposing himself the officer notifies Communications of his position and intended action the officer checks The Violator license number against the hot sheet it is not listed as a final precaution he makes a written record of the Violator license number keep a constant watch on the occupants of any vehicle when making the approach a quick glance assures the officer that there are no passengers but now even though the car is not listed as being stolen the officer's attention is again drawn to the possibility of theft by the inconsistent appearance of the driver and the car certain L this driver does not fit the conservative car he is driving the first step get the operator's license along with his questions regarding the traffic violation the officer includes subtle inquiries to check out his suspicion of possible theft the driver claims his father is the owner of the car yet when asked for the registration slip he must look on the steering column to learn that it is not there one familiar with the car would generally know where the slip is kept there is no registration available in this case the inconsistencies of driver and car increase and the officer decides to investigate further he asks for the keys thus immobilizing the vehicle the evidence is not conclusive and the officer continues a courteous relationship but any officer especially one working alone must not expose himself to unnecessary danger a quick check for weapons is not an accusation but a precaution there is a chance of an error or a mission on the officer's hot shei or a chance that the car has been recently stolen but no broadcast has as yet been made to be sure the officer requests a want run on both driver and vehicle where a partner is available the second officer would hold the suspect out of hearing a single officer must sacrifice this subtlety to keep his suspect under surveillance the officer comments that while riding up behind the Violator he noticed the rear end seemed heavy he asks what is in the trunk this was an unexpected question the driver replies that it is piled with boxes of things belonging to his father calmly politely the officer asks to inspect the contents of the trunk the respects every move must be closely watched now if he is guilty he can incriminate himself in these moments there are several keys from which he must choose to unlock the trunk his degree of certainty and his accuracy in selecting the right key should be noted no pile of boxes as the driver said there was he is quick to cover himself suggesting that his father removed them without his knowing about it suspicion is mounting but not yet conclusive however there are other checkpoints to be tried the questions are fed out carefully courteously how long has the family had the car have they driven it much how many miles does the speedometer show the speedometer mileage reading is a figure most people who drive a car frequently know within a reasonable margin but it is a detail not usually noted by someone who steals a car the this driver is caught in a position where he cannot observe the speedometer he feels compelled to give an answer and offers his estimate of 16,000 miles there are other details about which an owner is usually familiar the last date of lubrication the contents of the glove compartment the position of controls light switches map lights or other items a check is made on the actual mileage the figure is over8 ,000 miles different from that given by the [Music] driver unit 67 there is no want on your suspect no want on the car in custody the suspect admits that he stole the car but adds that he only meant to borrow it for a few hours this is a familiar story in car theft thus an officer's close attention to details his ability to size up the elements of a possible hot car and his careful investigation have brought about recovery of the car and apprehension of the suspect even before the vehicle was reported stolen stolen cars are usually taken for a single purpose used and then abandoned they are often left in secluded areas dead ends or streets without houses facing them these are places where the thief might leave the car with the minimum danger of being observed certainly the parked cars that an officer can investigate are limited therefore it is important that he be skilled in sizing up a parked vehicle and determining if it is possibly a hot car debris scattered in and around this car indicates that it has been parked in the same spot for several days a quick check reveals that the license number does appear on the Hut sheet Communications is notified cross files can quickly fill in details not usually listed on the hot sheet this also prevents errors being committed because of inaccuracies on the sheet unit 15 on George Charlie King 710 1955 Chevrolet four-door sedan registered to Warren light 819 Walnut Street Torrance the obvious discrepancy between the vehicle wanted and the car which now carries the hot license must be clarified by further investigation a search inside for registration or other identification should be made with care not to disturb fingerprints or any evidence that might be needed for followup investigation stolen cars are often used for getaway in the commission of robbery and other crimes no registration is found but details continue to point up to the experienced officer that this might be a stolen car despite the possibility of rain the windows have been left open the dirty condition of the windshield and the car in general show a lack of concern that is more in keeping with the attitude of a thief than that of an owner motor and serial numbers are difficult to alter and they usually provide fairly conclusive evidence as to whether or not a car is hot these numbers are usually caked with dirt and grease and an officer should be prepared to meet this situation by keeping a brush or knife on hand to scrape it clean be familiar with the location of numbers on each type of engine care should be taken not to confuse the motor number with the part number part numbers are a raised portion of the casting while motor numbers are stamped into the metal a routine check should be made to determine if the trunk is unlocked and if so it should be searched having obtained the motor number the officer radios it to communication it can be readily determined from Cross files if the car itself is listed as stolen in this case the car is found to be hot the situation is complicated by the fact that it Bears plates from another vehicle also listed as stolen but by his skilled investigation this officer has straightened out the confusion with little delay for although the thief has fled from the car the recovery by officers is the beginning of an investigation and pursuit that may lead to his capture a resident of the neighborhood is questioned about the car and will be used in the follow-up investigation but the enforcement problem on hot cars continues throughout each watch through every minute of the day for even as a number is being scratched from the hot sheet another may be in the process of becoming an entry for [Music] unlike the Amer or a juvenile stealing for a thrill or Joy Ride the professional car thief moves with a Swift well planned operation narrowing the chance of detection with a lookout he devotes his full attention to the car each step is practiced and planned with the door locked he tries the window to force down that fraction of an inch that can sometimes be obtained from play in the mechanism failing this he moves to the side bent the professional makes and carries the tools of his trade they are designed by him to defeat the various locks that confront him on any make of car he tries always the quickest path this special tool is designed to hook on the door handle so that the door can be flicked open the angle is bad no further time is wasted another tool is chosen this one fits neatly over the window handle and is designed to allow the circular turning pressure to be applied [Music] with the vent open entrance is [Music] easy the gear lever is set in neutral or start position with the same Swift Shore action the thief moves to the engine he has no ignition keys to help him now and like a magician he deftly turns to his pocket full of Tricks here a jump wire is attached between the battery and the coil the circuit is completed and the engine turns over it should be remembered that the thief has no way of turning off the engine except by disconnecting the jump wires but for his immediate purpose the car will function and it is his [Music] the new candidate for the hot sheet moves in among the mass of other cars that fill the city streets to single out this one car from the others requires a high degree of skill and is a difficult enforcement problem [Music] [Applause] the professional Thief has means to complicate the enforcement task license plates can be altered with either paint or tape certain numbers and letters are usually chosen because of the ease with which a change can be made here a three is skillfully transformed into an eight and with deaf fingers the letter L quickly becomes an E when observing a suspicious vehicle Whose license number does not appear on the hot sheet an officer should consider the number with an eye focused on a possible alteration at night thieves sometimes try to prevent a clear observation of the plate by Smashing the light which illuminates it to an experienced officer this Rouge should only arouse suspicion and call for closer inspection of the plate it is obvious that the officer who along with his other duties keeps a constant vigil for stolen vehicles cannot rely solely on his hot sheet he must be aware of other clues that point out the stolen car drivers who appear nervous or unfamiliar with their car warrant attention suspicious physical damage broken vents or windows are signs of possible forced entry here the driver is uneasy but aggressive rather than timid your rear th loow this attempt to divert attention alerts the experienced officer he has seen this ruse before the altered plates could easily pass a casual look but the officer gives them close scrutiny he detects an alteration typically the thief turns off from the officer's route at the first opportunity his suspicion aroused the officer attempts a pullover in the fear that they had been detected the thieves attempt to get away [Music] the officer notifies Communications of the pursuit so that other units may be brought in holding the mic to his throat cuts down the siren noise with this call he can receive an emergency verification on the want listed on the car car thieves are not concerned with potential damage to the car and they usually have little regard for others on the roadway their whole purpose is escape at any cost they sometimes commit hit and run accidents they take enormous chances in their flight the officer is responsible for the safety of others as well as his vehicle he is therefore at a disadvantage even though using red light and siren Against the Wild and careless driver of the hot car [Music] [Applause] [Music] w oh [Music] w [Music] [Applause] [Music] by knowing the terrain the officer has trapped the suspect before other units reached the [Music] scene he orders both men to place their hands on the windshield and radios his exact position he will not attempt to affect the capture Beyond this point without a par since his Advantage now is in his position but by his knowledge of the behavior of car thieves and his skilled attention to details he has defeated even the well-laid plans of Professionals in our nation of Automotive Transportation car theft continues year after year as one of the country's major criminal problems it follows therefore that every enforcement officer must be thoroughly familiar with the details of this criminal activity this means an ability to recognize the behavior characteristics of the car thief either amateur or professional as well as a complete understanding of the tools of this illicit trade an officer must be able to recognize the professional's tools know their function and their purpose one of the most important pieces of equipment is that used to short out the ignition system so that the car will function without keys this coil or hot shot as it's called is a common tool used by car thieves sometimes equipment is more elaborate this instrument seems innocent enough in its cigar box package but the terminal wires dangling outside lead into a coil that can be quickly engaged by deaft hands once in place this coil will soon add another number to the already long list on the hot sheet professionals often design their own jimmies like this one made from a spoon handle in some cases two tools are needed in combination to force open the lock here the lock button is depressed with one tool while the heavy duty Jimmy Works to twist the lock arm out of the lock position the thief soon becomes familiar with each type of Lock and he faces each one in an almost routine fashion using his special tools with skilled and practiced fingers he works quickly but patiently toward that moment when his hand touches the door handle however car theft is a many-sided problem when committed by highly organized professionals enforcement must be carried to equally extensive investigation to lead toward detection and apprehension but the major portion of Auto thefts are not committed by such professionals amateurs and lesser professionals account for keeping this crime among our nation's Prime enforcement tasks efficient performance of this task depends upon every officer's ability to know and recognize the highly skilled and sometimes extremely minute points of detection thus as another number is scratched from the hot sheet there is behind that single stroke of the pencil a job of law enforcement worthy of pride a job well planned well executed and well done the [Applause]