Auto Safety Tips

You go to bed knowing your car is safe and sound in your driveway. You wake up the next morning only to find your car is gone. Maybe you get a call from the police department asking you if you know where your car is. You’re in shock, confused, angry; an array of emotions comes over you. You say to yourself, “How could this happen to me?” Once the reality of the situation sets in, you begin the frustrating process of reporting the theft to the police and look for your insurance information.

How Serious is Auto Theft? A stolen car creates a multitude of problems for the owner, namely the loss of transportation, a time gap before it’s replaced, dealing with your insurance, “a sense of violation” and a general overall hassle. A vehicle is stolen approximately every 20 seconds in this country. That calculates to be about 1.5 million vehicles a year at a cost of 6 to 7 billion dollars. In Masachusetts, approximately 35,000 vehicles are stolen annually by theft and fraud.

Why do thieves steal vehicles? Thieves steal vehicles for numerous reasons. They take them for transportation, for fun to joy ride, gang initiation, to commit other crimes, to move drugs and Undocumented Aliens from the Mexican border into the U.S., take them to chop shops for their parts, change their identity (switch the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)) and sell them as legal vehicles. Many vehicles are taken out of the country or shipped overseas, or owners will hide or destroy their vehicle to collect an insurance settlement.

What should you do to report a stolen vehicle? Call 9-1-1 if the theft of your vehicle is in progress. Any other time please call our non-emergency number, (508) 872-1212. Have your license plate number or VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) available. Your title will have the VIN number as well as your insurance policy paperwork. Keep your title in a secured location in your home. DO NOT keep it in your vehicle. This basic information with a physical description of your vehicle is immediately broadcast to all patrol officers. You are required to come into the Police Station at 1 William Welch Way and file a written auto theft report. NOTE: If a lending company has repossessed your vehicle, they are required to notify the law enforcement agency for that jurisdiction. If you should move or change your telephone numbers you should immediately contact the police department with the new information. That is how you are notified when your vehicle is recovered. If your vehicle is returned, you should notify the police department to officially report your vehicle as recovered.