Authorities offer tips on avoiding car thefts
Hollister – Every two-and-a-half days, a car is reported stolen in Hollister, according to police records dating from the beginning of 2005.
Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller noted the rising frequency of auto thefts Wednesday during a press conference after a two-year investigation wrapped up into suspected thieves and drug and gun runners operating in the city.
“Hollister has an auto theft problem,” Miller said.
California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Armstrong, a public information officer for the Hollister-Gilroy Area office of the CHP, said car owners can do much to deter would-be thieves.
The easiest steps owners can take to prevent theft is to lock the vehicle, take the keys and completely close all the windows, Armstrong said. Armstrong said 20 percent of reported auto thefts have the keys left behind and 50 percent are left unlocked.
Auto theft can be a crime of opportunity.
“A lot of times these guys are walking around a neighborhood and something catches their eye,” Armstrong said. “That’s the vehicle they take.”
Anti-theft devices remain an important deterrent, said Capt. Nick Norton of the CHP coastal division special services.
“Clubs are still a good tool, believe it or not,” Norton said.
Steering wheel locks, alarms and even anti-theft decals help deter would-be thieves, Armstrong said.
Norton said that drug dealers and gun runners are often looking for a car to use in their business.
“You also have seen drivers that use it for transportation,” Norton said.
Once the drugs or guns are transported, the auto thief will dump the stolen vehicle, looking for another, Norton said.
Stolen cars can also be used for income, Armstrong said.
“It can be random or an assignment based on the needs of their car theft ring,” Armstrong said.
