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Ohio Auto Thefts
Auto theft experience in Ohio has generally been better than other
states with a similar auto-to-population ratio. Over the past decade,
the Ohio auto theft rate has fluctuated, increasing some years
and decreasing in others. Based on a June 2005 survey, OII estimates
that 40,039 motor vehicles were stolen in Ohio in 2004, a decrease
of 2.3% from 2003’s 40,996 thefts.
Theft prevention programs
Numerous federal standards and acts have been passed to combat
the auto theft problem in the US. Insurers and other highway safety
advocates continue to support federal legislation that would target
auto thieves and strengthen current laws.
Several auto theft programs
in Ohio have played an important role in holding the state’s
theft rate below the national average. According to the FBI's 2003
Uniform Crime Reports, during
2003 Ohio’s
359 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants remained well below the national
average of 433.
One of Ohio’s most effective auto theft programs
is the Ohio Highway Patrol Blue Max program, started in 1972. Each
time a motorist
is stopped by a trooper for any reason, the car serial number is
checked through a computer to determine its owner. When a stolen
vehicle is recovered, the officer is given a lightning bolt decal
to place on the patrol car. Five lightning bolts earn the officer
the designation “ACE” and a special license plate.
Each year the State Highway trooper with the most stolen car arrests
and recoveries receives the Blue Max award.
Since its inception
through 2004, the Blue Max program has accounted for the recovery
of 40,268 vehicles worth over $192.6 million and
the arrest of 30,009 car thieves. Twenty-four troopers earned
the ACE designation in 2004.
Ohio laws
Ohio has enacted several laws dealing with specific aspects of
the auto theft problem. One law covers the offenses of auto rental
fraud, aggravated joy riding and auto theft conspiracy. Two other
laws deal with the use of fraudulent or counterfeit auto titles
in the sale of late-model stolen cars.
Yet another statute establishes
penalties for auto theft insurance fraud; allows the exchange of
information on auto theft among law
enforcement, insurers and those acting on their behalf; and provides
immunity for cooperating parties. It also establishes a record
system to trace cars taken out of the country and creates penalties
for unlawful destruction or alteration of vehicle identification
numbers.
A 1994 Ohio law (SB 75) permits counties and municipalities
to establish a voluntary vehicle decal program for identifying
potentially
stolen vehicles. Similar programs in other states start with a
voluntary registration process where vehicle owners sign a form
indicating their vehicle will not be driven during specified hours
(i.e., between 1:00 and 5:00 a.m.). To distinguish participating
vehicles, the owner affixes a decal to the car’s window.
If law enforcement officials spot a “decaled” car being
driven during the restricted hours, they can stop it and ask the
driver for identification and registration information. Ohio law
provides protection provisions for law enforcement during related
activities.
Ohio’s fraud law
The Ohio General Assembly passed legislation in late 1997 (Am.
Sub. HB 248) that strengthens Ohio’s insurance fraud laws.
Highlights of the law, effective on March 17, 1998, can be found by clicking here.
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The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)
reports that for calendar year 2004, car thieves were
most active in California. Seven of the nation's ten hottest
spots
for vehicle theft rates are in California, while the remaining
three are Phoenix-Mesa, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; and Seattle-Bellevue-Everett,
WA. |
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