Mesa Police Department Auto Theft
Auto Theft Home
The Mesa Police Department has teamed up with the Phoenix,
Scottsdale, Tempe, and Gilbert Police Departments to combat vehicle thefts in
Arizona. The resulting "Bait Car Program" was funded by a grant from the
Arizona
Auto Theft Authority and became operational in Mesa as of February,
2003. We now have a fleet of various makes of vehicles that we use in the
program.
Arizona has one of the largest numbers of reported vehicle
thefts anywhere in the United States. Per capita, Arizona is currently
ranked #2 in the nation behind California for the number of stolen vehicles. The Bait Car Program has been
successfully used in other states, where auto thefts have dropped by as much as
40%. Since Mesa began using the Bait Car Program, Mesa Auto Thefts dropped
10% in 2003. In 2004, auto thefts dropped 17.5%.
How Do Bait Cars Work?
Bait vehicles are left in high auto-theft target areas.
The vehicles are equipped with a tracking system that activates when the vehicle
is tampered with and/or stolen. Video and audio equipment concealed inside
of the vehicle will also be activated. Once police have visual contact
with the vehicle, it is remotely shut off. The thieves will then be
arrested.
Result
Since beginning operation, eighteen suspects were arrested
in the Bait Cars in 2003. In 2004, fourteen suspects were
arrested, and so far in 2005, there have been six arrests made for a total of
forty-two people arrested in a Bait Car in Mesa. A high
percentage of those arrested are repeat offender auto thieves. The auto
theft totals in 2003 dropped 10.34% from 2002 and vehicle burglaries dropped
almost 18% during the same time period. The Bait Car videos have shown a
varied account of suspects stealing cars and their subsequent
arrests.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office has worked closely with
the Mesa Police Auto Theft Unit in prosecuting suspects. One pair of
suspects plead to their criminal charges and received a multiple-year prison
sentence, as well as taking part in a video
explaining they were caught in a Bait Car. The resulting publicity should
contribute to informing the public about the Bait Car Program.
Click on the link below to view video from a Bait
Car camera.
Bait Car video
(RealPlayer required)
Total Length: 6:14 (2 clips)
Warning: language may be objectionable to some viewers
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